The projected Sunrail expansion from DeLand Station, located a few miles west of downtown DeLand near the intersection of Old New York Avenue and Grand Avenue South, will increase commuter train service between the DeBary Station and the DeLand Amtrak Station on the current Central Florida Rail Corridor (CFRC).
This 12-mile development project will connect a whole new network of Central Florida neighborhoods. Officials anticipate that rail will be on the ground and other construction components will begin as early as February 2022, with completion anticipated for mid-2024. The completion of the project will mark a significant milestone for Central Florida’s commuter rail line, fulfilling the basic concept of the system.
Since 2014, the community has been awaiting the northern extension of Central Florida’s first commuter rail system, which began with 12 stations and grew to 16 stations in 2018 with the southern expansion. The Central Florida Commuter Rail Commission (CFCRC), the SunRail advisory board of elected officials from the five local financial partners, voted overwhelmingly in favor of expanding SunRail’s present operating system into Volusia County.
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In addition to station construction, modifications will be made throughout the 12 miles of railway between the Debary and DeLand stations to fulfill SunRail operational requirements, including 6-miles of double track. Furthermore, safety elements such as dynamic envelopes will be installed at all grade crossings, with special attention paid to pedestrian and vehicular traffic.
“In collaboration with the local funding partners, FDOT went through a Value Engineering Process to fully evaluate multiple station design options that fulfill the goals and objectives of the overall system and provide the best return on investment for the funding partners, the community, and all residents of Central Florida,” said Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) District Five Secretary Jared W. Perdue.
