Service to the northernmost station begins on Monday
DeLAND, Fla. – With ceremonies held Friday, August 9, the DeLand SunRail station opened. It is the 17th station on the commuter rail line in the Orlando area and the northern terminus of a 12-mile extension that completes the system as originally planned.
The West Volusia Beacon reports that 300 or more people attended the dedication ceremony. SunRail service will begin this Monday, August 12, with the first departure from DeLand at 5:30 a.m.
The opening of the DeLand station comes about 10 years after the next station to the south, at DeBary, opened, and after a period in which rising costs for the northern extension led to discussions about canceling the final 12-mile extension. Ultimately, the extension – once estimated to cost $120 million – was completed for $43 million, with Volusia County borrowing the $11 million for its share from the State Infrastructure Bank.
“It hasn’t been an easy road … but here we are,” said Jeff Brower, Volusia County executive and chairman of SunRail’s parent agency, the Central Florida Commuter Rail Commission.
