Winter Park (Amtrak Station)

Winter Park (Amtrak Station)

The Winter Park Amtrak station is a train station in Winter Park, Florida, United States served by Amtrak, the national railroad passenger system. The station was originally built in 1890 as a South Florida Railroad depot, ten years after South Florida Railroad built a line from Sanford to Orlando. It was later replaced in 1913 by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, and included a freight depot which is located on the south side of the station. It was in use by the railroad until 1982 and is now used as a farmer's market. The current station was built by ACL in 1962 and is directly adjacent to a large city park known as Central Park. It is located one block away from Park Avenue, a street that is lined with upscale shops and restaurants.

In addition to Amtrak, Winter Park station will serve as a stop on the planned SunRail commuter rail system and will be renamed "Winter Park/Park Avenue Station" when operations begin in 2014. On February 14, 2013, construction began on a new $1.2 million station building, which will replace the existing 1962 era depot. The new station, which will be built in the Craftsman-style to better blend with the city's architecture, will include an improved lobby, artwork and larger restrooms. It is expected to be open by late November or early December of 2013. The new depot will primarily be funded through a $950,000 grant from the Federal Transit Administration’s Bus and Bus Facilities program, which was matched with more than $237,000 in local funding from the city.