Orlando Health/Amtrak station

Last updated
Orlando, FL
OrlandoFL (Amtrak Station).jpg
Front entrance to the 1926-built Orlando station. Originally used by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, now by Amtrak.
General information
Location1400 Sligh Boulevard
Orlando, Florida
United States
Coordinates 28°31′33″N81°22′53″W / 28.52590°N 81.38130°W / 28.52590; -81.38130
Owned byCity of Orlando
Platforms1 side platform, 1 island platform
Tracks3
Train operators Amtrak, SunRail
ConnectionsAiga bus trans.svg Amtrak Thruway
Aiga bus trans.svg LYNX transportation logo.svg : 40 [1]
Construction
Structure typeAt-grade
ParkingYes
Bicycle facilitiesYes
AccessibleYes
Other information
Station code Amtrak: ORL
Fare zone Orange (SunRail)
History
Opened1926
Passengers
FY 202289,933 annually [2] (Amtrak)
Preceding station BSicon LOGO Amtrak2.svg Amtrak Following station
Kissimmee
toward Miami
Silver Meteor Winter Park
toward New York
Silver Star
Preceding station SunRail logo.png SunRail Following station
Sand Lake Road
towards Poinciana
SunRail Church Street
towards DeBary
Former services
Preceding station BSicon LOGO Amtrak2.svg Amtrak Following station
Winter Park
toward Los Angeles
Sunset Limited
1993–2005
Kissimmee
1993-1996
toward Miami
Kissimmee Floridian
Winter Park
toward Chicago
Preceding station Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Following station
Pine Castle
toward Tampa
Main Line Winter Park
toward Richmond

Orlando Health/Amtrak station, also known as Orlando station, is a train station in Orlando, Florida. It is served by Amtrak, the national railroad passenger system of the United States, and SunRail, the commuter rail service of Greater Orlando, as well as local and intercity buses. It serves Amtrak's Silver Meteor and Silver Star lines. Built in 1926, the historic station is located in Downtown Orlando approximately one mile south of the central business district, near the campus of Orlando Health. Serving 160,442 passengers at last measure in 2013, The station is Amtrak's fifth busiest in the Southeastern United States; it is the second busiest Amtrak station in Florida, behind the Sanford station of the Auto Train.

Contents

History

Part of the restored interior. Orlando FL SCL Amtrak inside03.jpg
Part of the restored interior.

The station was built in 1926 by A.M. Griffin and W. T. Hadlow for the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad. The building was designed in the Spanish Mission style. It became part of the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad after the Coast line merged with the Seaboard Air Line Railroad in 1967. [4]

Service in peak years

Prior to the decline in operations in the 1950s and 1960s several long distance trains operated by the ACL ran through the station.

Shuttle sections that fed off these trains in Jacksonville, to points south. In Jacksonville connections could be made with trains that originated in either Chicago or Cincinnati: [5]

For a period after a strike on the Florida East Coast Railway interrupted service on its coastal route, from 1964 to 1968, the ACL and its successor, the SCL, ran trains making local stops down the Atlantic Coast from Jacksonville to Miami, notably including a stop in Orlando. This provided the first direct rail service from Orlando to Miami. [6] [7] [8]

Service in Amtrak years

Amtrak continued the Champion, and also added a St. Petersburg section to the Silver Star that also called at Orlando. Until 1979, the St. Petersburg section of the Chicago-originating Floridian stopped in Orlando as well. The Champion was folded into the Silver Meteor in 1979, and both it and the Silver Star continued to serve Orlando via Tampa Bay sections (which terminated in St. Petersburg before 1984 and in Tampa after 1984).

In 1993, the Sunset Limited was extended to South Florida, thus providing the first one-seat ride between Orlando and Miami since 1968. [9] Starting in the fall of 1996, the Silver Meteor and Silver Star were routed through Orlando after both trains dropped their Tampa Bay sections. The Sunset Limited was shortened to Sanford. [10] Later in the decade, the Sunset Limited was extended to Orlando again. [11] As a result of Hurricane Katrina, the Sunset Limited was suspended east of New Orleans in 2005.

Recent improvements

In 2014, the City of Orlando started a project to build a second platform for use by the new SunRail commuter rail service. Unlike most SunRail stations, which feature shelters consisting of white aluminum poles supporting sloped green roofs, the station's canopies feature arches that resemble the mission-style architecture of the adjacent historic station's canopy. It also includes ticket vending machines, ticket validators, emergency call boxes, drinking fountains, and separate platforms designed for passengers in wheelchairs. The station was officially named Orlando Health/Amtrak Station due to its proximity to the main Orlando Health hospital campus, Orlando Regional Medical Center, the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children and the Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies. [12] The revamped station opened on May 1, 2014. [13]

In August 2014, the City of Orlando announced a $2.1 million station restoration project for the historic building. The project, which was the first major renovation to the facility since 1990, included fixing cracks and leaks in the stucco walls and tile roof, pavement repairs, restroom upgrades, repainting of the building exterior, restoration of the original 1926 wood doors and windows, replacement and relocation of the air conditioning system to the roof of the building (which allowed the original entrance on the side of the building to be reopened), and the installation of a wheelchair ramp from the parking lot to the new station entrance. [14] Work officially commenced on September 24, 2014 and was completed on June 29, 2015. [15] [16] The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2022. [17]

The station is also serves Amtrak Thruway buses and Lynx bus route 40. It is also the proposed terminus on the planned Orange Blossom Express commuter rail project out of Lake County.

Connections

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seaboard Air Line Railroad</span> Defunct American railroad

The Seaboard Air Line Railroad, which styled itself as "The Route of Courteous Service", was an American railroad that existed from April 14, 1900, until July 1, 1967, when it merged with the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, its longtime rival, to form the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad. Predecessor railroads dated from the 1830s and reorganized extensively to rebuild after the American Civil War. The company was headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia, until 1958, when its main offices were relocated to Richmond, Virginia. The Seaboard Air Line Railway Building in Norfolk's historic Freemason District still stands and has been converted into apartments.

<i>Sunset Limited</i> Amtrak service between Los Angeles and New Orleans

The Sunset Limited is a long-distance passenger train operated by Amtrak on a 1,995-mile (3,211 km) route between New Orleans, Louisiana, and Los Angeles, California, with major stops in Houston, San Antonio, El Paso, and Tucson. Introduced in 1894 by the Southern Pacific Railroad, it is the oldest continuously operating named train in the United States.

<i>Silver Meteor</i> Amtrak service between New York and Florida

The Silver Meteor is a long-distance passenger train operated by Amtrak between New York City and Miami, Florida. Introduced in 1939 as the first diesel-powered streamliner between New York and Florida, it was the flagship train of the Seaboard Air Line Railroad (SAL) and one of the flagship trains of its successor, the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad (SCL). The train was transferred to Amtrak when it took over intercity passenger rail service in 1971.

<i>Silver Star</i> (Amtrak train) Amtrak service between New York and Florida

The Silver Star is a long-distance passenger train operated by Amtrak on a 1,522-mile (2,449 km) route between New York City and Miami via Washington, D.C., Richmond, Virginia, Raleigh, North Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, Savannah, Georgia, Jacksonville, Florida, and Tampa, Florida. The Silver Star and its sister train in the Silver Service brand, the Silver Meteor, are the descendants of numerous long-distance trains that operated between Florida and New York for most of the 20th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ocala Union Station</span> Historic passenger train station in Ocala, Florida

The Ocala Union Station is a bus station and former train station in Ocala, Florida, United States. It is located at 531 Northeast First Avenue, and was built in 1917 by both the Atlantic Coast Line and Seaboard Air Line Railroad. Prior to this, ACL and SAL had separate depots in Ocala. The former ACL station was originally built by the Florida Southern Railroad, while the former SAL station was built by the Florida Transit and Peninsular Railroad. On December 22, 1997, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dade City station</span>

Dade City station is a railroad station and historic site located in Dade City, Florida, United States. The station is located on CSX's S-Line, which runs along the east side of the building. On July 15, 1994, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jacksonville station</span>

Jacksonville station is an Amtrak train station in Jacksonville, Florida, United States. It serves the Silver Meteor and Silver Star trains as well as Amtrak Thruway buses to Lakeland. The station is located at 3570 Clifford Ln, Jacksonville, FL.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sebring station</span>

Sebring station is a train station in Sebring, Florida, United States. It is currently served by Amtrak, the national railroad passenger system. Located on East Center Avenue, the station was constructed in 1924 by the Seaboard Air Line Railway. Approaching the transfer of passenger services to Amtrak, the station was used by the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad for the Silver Meteor,Silver Star and the Palmland. The latter train ended in 1971, while the Silver Meteor and Silver Star remain operated by Amtrak to the present. Amtrak trains formerly using the station included the Floridian,Palmetto,Sunset Limited and the short-lived intrastate Tampa-Miami Silver Palm service.

<i>Champion</i> (train)

The Champion was a streamlined passenger train operated by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad and Florida East Coast Railway between New York City and Miami or St. Petersburg, Florida. It operated from 1939 until 1979, continuing under the Seaboard Coast Line and Amtrak. It was a direct competitor to the Seaboard Air Line Railway's Silver Meteor, the first New York-Florida streamliner.

The South Wind was a named passenger train equipped and operated jointly by the Pennsylvania Railroad, the Louisville and Nashville Railroad, the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, and the Florida East Coast Railway. The South Wind began operations in December 1940, providing streamliner service between Chicago, Illinois and Miami, Florida. This was one of three new seven-car, all-coach streamliners operating in coordination every third day along different routes between Chicago and Miami. The other two longest enduring Chicago-Florida trains were the City of Miami and the Dixie Flagler. The South Wind remained in service through the creation of Amtrak in 1971.

The Gulf Wind was a streamlined passenger train inaugurated on July 31, 1949, as a joint operation by the Louisville and Nashville Railroad and the Seaboard Air Line Railroad. The Gulf Wind replaced the heavyweight New Orleans - Florida Express on this routing. The Gulf Wind was a limited stops train and offered amenities such as dining cars and Pullman service. The train left Jacksonville at night and arrived in New Orleans in the evening, as the Express had done.

<i>City of Miami</i> (train) Passenger train

The City of Miami was a seven-car coach streamliner inaugurated by Illinois Central Railroad on December 18, 1940. Its route was from Chicago to Miami a total distance of 1,493 miles (2,403 km).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wildwood station</span>

Wildwood station is a bus station, and former train station, in Wildwood, Florida. It serves Amtrak Thruway buses and formerly served trains for Amtrak and other rail companies. The station is located on 601 North Main Street in Wildwood, Florida. Along with the northern terminus of Florida's Turnpike, the station gave Wildwood a reason to refer to itself as "The Crossroads of Florida."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waldo station</span>

Waldo station is a former train station in Waldo, Florida along the CSX S-Line. It serves Amtrak Thruway buses and previously served trains for Amtrak and other rail operators. The station is located at the interchange of US 301 and State Road 24 in Waldo, Florida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Petersburg station (Amtrak)</span> Passenger train station in St. Petersburg, Florida

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seaboard–All Florida Railway</span>

The Seaboard–All Florida Railway was a subsidiary of the Seaboard Air Line Railroad that oversaw two major extensions of the system in the early 1920s to southern Florida on each coast during the land boom. One line extended the Seaboard's tracks on the east coast from West Palm Beach down to Fort Lauderdale and Miami, while the other extension on the west coast extended the tracks from Fort Ogden south to Fort Myers and Naples, with branches from Fort Myers to LaBelle and Punta Rassa. These two extensions were heavily championed by Seaboard president S. Davies Warfield, and were constructed by Foley Brothers railroad contractors. Both extensions also allowed the Seaboard to better compete with the Florida East Coast Railway and the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, who already served the lower east and west coasts of Florida respectively.

The Florida Western and Northern Railroad was a subsidiary of the Seaboard Air Line Railroad that expanded their network in the 1920s by building a rail line from Coleman, Florida all the way to West Palm Beach via Auburndale and Sebring, a distance of 204 miles. The line would be extended to Miami by the Seaboard-All Florida Railway, another Seaboard Air Line subsidiary, shortly after with the full line from Coleman to Miami becoming the Seaboard Air Line's Miami Subdivision. The line is still in service today from Auburndale to West Palm Beach and is now operated by Seaboard successor CSX Transportation as their Auburndale Subdivision.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sanford station (SunRail)</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clearwater Subdivision</span>

The Clearwater Subdivision is a railroad line owned by CSX Transportation in the Tampa Bay region of Florida. The line begins just east of downtown Tampa in Gary and heads north through some of Tampa's suburban neighborhoods. In Sulphur Springs, the Clearwater Subdivision turns and runs west through Oldsmar, where it crosses Tampa Bay. It briefly shifts south running through Safety Harbor, and then heads west again to Clearwater. In Clearwater, it turns southeast, running through Largo and Pinellas Park before terminating at Fifth Avenue North in St. Petersburg near Tropicana Field. The distance from Gary to St. Petersburg along the line is 48.6 miles (78.2 km). At the line's north end it continues from the Tampa Terminal Subdivision and at its south end the track comes to an end.

The Wildwood Subdivision is a railroad line owned by CSX Transportation in Florida. It runs along CSX's S Line from Baldwin south to Zephyrhills via Ocala and Wildwood for a total of 155.7 miles. The S Line is CSX's designation for the line that was the Seaboard Air Line Railroad main line from 1903 to 1967.

References

  1. "SunRail Connections" (PDF). Lynx . April 24, 2022. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  2. "Amtrak Fact Sheet, Fiscal Year 2022: State of Florida" (PDF). Amtrak. June 2023. Retrieved August 30, 2023.
  3. "SUNRAILANNUAL RIDERSHIP BY STATIONFY 2018" (PDF). SunRail. Retrieved 21 April 2019.
  4. "Orlando, FL (ORL)" (2014). www.greatamericanstations.com. Accessed April 14, 2015.
  5. Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Timetables, June 12, 1955, Tables B through L
  6. Official Guide of the Railways, December 1964, Atlantic Coast Line section, Table 17
  7. Seaboard Coast Line timetable, December 15, 1967, Tables 14, 15
  8. Seaboard Coast Line timetable, December 13, 1968, Jacksonville-Miami service rerouted through Ocala.
  9. Amtrak timetable, October 31, 1993, p. 30
  10. Amtrak timetable, November 10, 1996, p. 29.
  11. Amtrak timetable, October 31, 1999, p. 33
  12. "Orlando Health/Amtrak" (2015). www.sunrail.com. Retrieved April 14, 2015.
  13. Carchidi, Jim (Apr 9, 2014) "Pre-dawn party: SunRail opens the Orlando Health station". Orlando Business Journal. Retrieved April 14, 2014.
  14. Tracy, Dan (August 22, 2014). "Downtown Orlando Amtrak station to get $2.1 million face-lift" Orlando Sentinel . Retrieved April 14, 2015.
  15. "Amtrak Station Restoration Begins" (September 24, 2014). www.cityoforlando.net. Retrieved April 14, 2015.
  16. "Renovation of Orlando's historic Amtrak station complete" (June 29, 2015). www.orlandosentinel.com. Retrieved September 8, 2015.
  17. "Weekly listing". National Park Service.