Amtrak celebrated the groundbreaking of a new, larger and up-to-date passenger station in Sanford, Fla., for its Auto Train service.

The $10 million renovation of Amtrak's Sanford Auto Train Station will convert the current 2,500-square-foot station configuration of three separate structures into a 10,000-square-foot facility with a passenger waiting area, ticket counter, gift shop, café and restrooms. It will funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Additionally, the new, larger station will include a waiting area with seating for 600, an increase of 370 over the current waiting area, which is partially housed in a tent, while a new traffic flow will provide easier access for passengers as they drop off their vehicles under a large canopy prior to boarding the train.

The renovation project is scheduled to begin in mid-June 2009 and is targeted for completion in the fall of 2010.