DeLand (Amtrak Station)

DeLand (Amtrak Station)

The DeLand Amtrak station is located several miles west of downtown DeLand, at the location formerly known as DeLand Junction. DeLand Station was originally built in 1918, and stood across from the former Volusia County Fairgrounds. When the Jacksonville, Tampa and Key West Railroad, and then the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad ran the line past this station, they also ran passenger service to downtown DeLand. The terminus of this spur was in downtown DeLand at a hotel named College Arms. There is a public housing high-rise with the same name currently on the site. The track proceeded several blocks further to some local businesses and was graded all the way to Lake Helen, FL where it would have connected to the Atlantic and Western RR but track was never laid. The station was acquired by Amtrak, and restored in 1988, although the second track has not been maintained properly. Up until 2005 when it was truncated to New Orleans, the Sunset Limited also stopped here. The station also provides Amtrak Thruway Motorcoach service to Daytona Beach, Florida.

Of the eighteen Florida stations served by Amtrak, Deland was the twelfth-busiest in FY2011, boarding or detraining an average of approximately 79 passengers daily.