Sanford station (Amtrak)
Sanford station is a railroad terminal in Sanford, Florida. It is the southern terminus for Amtrak's Auto Train, which runs between this station and Lorton, Virginia.
Sanford, FL | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Sign for Sanford's Auto Train station | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Location | 600 South Persimmon Avenue Sanford, Florida | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 28.80709°N 81.28885°W | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Owned by | Amtrak | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Platforms | 1 island platform | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Construction | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Disabled access | Yes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Station code | Amtrak: SFA | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| History | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Opened | 1971, 1983 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Closed | 1981 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rebuilt | 2009–2010 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Passengers | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FY2019 | 236,035 (Amtrak) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Services | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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As of 2022, the Auto Train loads its passengers on two tracks in Sanford, as no single track is long enough for all of the passenger railcars. A railroad crossing runs through the middle of Sanford's rail yard, an unusual situation for a modern yard.
The current station, built in 2010, replaced a 1971 facility. It has a waiting room for 600 travelers, ticket counter, café, restrooms, and a gift shop. The building incorporates energy-saving features such as energy-efficient HVAC, lighting, and glass coatings that minimize solar gain. A portion of the old station abutting the new structure was reconfigured into administrative offices.[1]
History
The station was opened in 1971 by the Auto-Train Corporation, a railroad that operated its rolling stock along tracks owned by other railroads. The station and the service closed when the railroad fell into bankruptcy in 1981.
The station was reopened in 1983 when Amtrak revived the Auto Train service.[2] In 2004, the station building was damaged by hurricanes.[3] The facility was also older and smaller than the terminal at Lorton.
On May 18, 2009, Amtrak broke ground on a new $10.5 million station designed by d+A design + Architecture of Yardley, Pennsylvania. The new building, opened on October 18, 2010, can accommodate more passengers more comfortably.[4][5]
Sanford's other station
A second Amtrak station was located three-tenths of a mile south of the Auto Train terminal, which served the Silver Star, Silver Meteor, and Sunset Limited. The station was built by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad in 1913 and rebuilt in 1953. Like most U.S. passenger stations, it was acquired by Amtrak upon its inception in 1971. Though Amtrak gave the address as 800 Persimmon Avenue, Suite 100, the station was actually located at the end of West 8th Street, just west of Persimmon Avenue.[6] Amtrak closed the station on August 1, 2005, and demolished it in 2009.
SunRail, the Central Florida commuter rail system, revived local passenger rail service to Sanford when it began operations in 2014. It built a new station on State Road 46 rather than on the site of the former Amtrak station.[7]
References
- Great American Stations. Accessed March 18, 2013.
- Amtrak History and Archives. Accessed March 18, 2013.
- "Sanford Amtrak to open new terminal". Central Florida News 13. 17 October 2010. Archived from the original on 21 October 2010. Retrieved 17 October 2010.
- Donald Weinstein, David Warner and Harry Sutton (2008). "Amtrak Auto Train Travel Tips - Stations and Vehicles". On Track On Line. Retrieved 2008-03-12.
- "Sanford - Auto Train, FL". Amtrak. 2008. Retrieved 2008-03-12.
- Sanford Amtrak Passenger Station (USA RailGuide -- TrainWeb)
- Sanford/State Road 46 Station (SunRail) Archived 2011-09-07 at the Wayback Machine
