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On a recent trip to Florida, we stopped at Winter Park to see the new station for SunRail commuter service that is to begin May 1. As the photos show it is very attractive and an improvement over the existing Amtrak station. The agent told me he would be moving shortly and liked his new offices, although the waiting room is a bit smaller. The platform canopies on both tracks is a nice feature for those waiting in south Florida downpours or hot sun.
Start up service is from Debarry to a stop just south of Amtrak's Orlando station. The second phase will start later this year and be done in two sections: north to Deland and south to just south of Amtrak's Kissimmee station, a total of about 60 miles.
Apparently the good citizens of Winter Park are not too fond of commuters clogging up their streets or parking spaces. While the station has a nice parking lot, signs at each limit you to parking for only 4 hours. Amtrak gets 8 assigned spots. Guess if you are a commuter it's either kiss and ride, bike, or walk.
I had trouble posting the photos with the old instructions. Our moderator, Laurie, and programmer, Shivam, did a great job of fixing a bug in the use of photos from flickr and now use a new photo upload service called IMGur. I found it much easier to use. The new instructions are here.
Gilbert B Norman Member # 1541
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New station sure beats the Coast Line Shack, Mr. Palmland.
RRRICH Member # 1418
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Palmland -- thanks! Great photos!! The old station didn't ever seem that "bad" to me, but this is nice. I'm surpised they got the old station torn down and the new station built in the short 2 years since I've been gone from the Orlando/Winter Park area.
palmland Member # 4344
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Rich
This is just beyond (south) the old station, which is still standing but soon to disappear. You can see a bit of the area around the old station in the extreme right of the 2nd photo.
RRRICH Member # 1418
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Palmland -- I still don't see anything that looks familiar to me. Is the new station at the site of the old Farmer's Market building, which was just S of the old WPK station and on the same side of the tracks as the old station? (that old Farmer's Market building, by the way, was the ORIGINAL Winter Park station)
palmland Member # 4344
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No,Rich, the bottom photo is looking south towards the farmers market and what looks to be the old freight station. They're just out of sight around the curve on the right. The new main station (the larger structure with the waiting room on the right) almost abuts the old station out of the photo and just about opposite across the tracks from where I was standing.
Below is another photo I took that might help. It was an interesting train that did not stop. The markings on the train said DOT DMU (Diesel multiple unit) demonstration train. Just to the right of the train you can see the old station across the tracks. And on the left is the new smaller platform with canopy. The new main station is hidden by the train. The photo was taken after we had just had morning coffee in one of the nice shops on the main street in town.
RRRICH Member # 1418
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OK, gotcha!! I see now where the new station is. Thanks!!
Are there palns to demolish the old station, or use it for parking or something?
smitty195 Member # 5102
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That station looks similar to what I glanced at (VERY briefly, so I did not get a great look) in Ft. Lauderdale. Very similar in appearance from what I recall.
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