(The following article by Danielle De Pari was posted on the Orlando Sentinel website on August 1.)
ORLANDO, Fla. — Pieces of wood fall from the Kissimmee Amtrak station’s overhang. Paint peels off Orlando’s Spanish-mission-style passenger depot. Potholes welcome visitors to DeLand’s train station, which lacks a sign.
Across Central Florida, there’s a big difference in the condition of train stations owned by railroad giant CSX and those owned by their host cities. City-owned stations in Winter Park and Lakeland are in good condition, while CSX-owned depots need renovations and repair, sometimes badly.
Sanford’s passenger station is closing Monday because Amtrak complains CSX refuses to do the work necessary to keep it up.
CSX argues that while it owns the station buildings in DeLand, Sanford, Orlando, Kissimmee and Winter Haven, Amtrak leases those depots and is responsible for their upkeep.
Passengers note the disrepair and lack of upgrades, and many are unhappy about it.
Dave Robinson of St. Cloud, who has had both legs amputated, was upset to find last week that Kissimmee’s station does not have disabled access.
“They had to carry me in the chair into the place,” he said while waiting to board a train to Virginia. “I’m sure I’m not the only handicapped person in town who uses it.”
An Amtrak station agent said the building was “grandfathered in” when the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed and is exempt from being forced to install a ramp. The ADA says buildings constructed before 1992 are required to make a reasonable attempt to comply with the law unless the cost is prohibitive. Such buildings must be brought into compliance when they are sold or remodeled.
Additionally, hurricanes damaged the Kissimmee station’s overhang roof.
Still, Diane English of Clermont uses it regularly to travel to Savannah, Ga., for weekend getaways.
“There is less traffic, and I don’t have to drive,” she said. “As far as the station itself, it could be upgraded. But the people are friendly and courteous.”
The DeLand station also is run-down, but the county in 2004 approved using a $424,000 state grant for renovation.
Built in 1918, the station looks rusty and has peeling paint. It caught fire in 1982 and has never really recovered, said Tom Scofield, county historic preservation planner.
Half the building had to be sectioned off because of fire damage. Temporary repairs were made in the late 1980s, but they were never meant to be permanent, Scofield said.
“The bathrooms have been a nightmare forever,” he added.
The parking lot is full of potholes, and there is no sign telling travelers they’ve arrived at the station – only two bent metal poles on the side of the property.
David Johnson, assistant director of the National Association of Railroad Passengers, said national funding for Amtrak has been stagnant since about 2001.
“It is a lack of commitment to rail investment in the country,” he said. “They would never allow Orlando International Airport to get in this condition.”