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Herzog Celebrates Completion of SunRail Phase 2 North and DeLand Station Opening

On Aug. 9, a crowd gathered in historic DeLand, Florida to celebrate the completion of SunRail Phase 2 North – which included the grand opening of the brand new DeLand Station.

 

Herzog proudly served as prime contractor of the Design-Build team that delivered this project for the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). STV served as Herzog’s designer for the project. The design phase for the project began June 13, 2022. The project consisted of a 12 mile extension north of the existing DeBary Station to the new DeLand Station located at 2491 Old New York Avenue, which serves as the new northern terminus of the line. A ride on the train between these two stations takes 15 minutes compared to a 30 minute or longer drive. From end-to-end, the entire SunRail corridor is now 61 miles long with 17 stations across four counties in the greater Orlando area. SunRail passengers can travel from Poinciana Station to DeLand Station in approximately 1.5 hours.

Of the 12-mile northern extension, 4 miles are double-tracked. For this segment, Herzog Technologies Inc. (HTI) installed signal and communication systems infrastructure improvements to allow SunRail trains to operate at 79 MPH. Across the extension, a combined total of 25 acres was cleared and grubbed. Additionally, crews completed 65,196 cubic yards of earthwork and 2,846 linear feet of utilities and drainage work. Other project scope included 31,129 feet of ballasted track, four new vehicular grade crossings, 72 linear feet of crash walls, a new pedestrian tunnel running under the mainline tracks, and roadway improvements with 1,147 tons of asphalt.

Herzog and its subcontractor Southland also constructed the new double-sided platform passenger station located in DeLand. The station includes a new covered waiting platform, signage, seating, ticket kiosks, and variable message signs. A new walkway was installed for passengers to get from the platform to the station’s parking lot. The new station’s architecture and colors were intentionally selected to compliment the adjacent 100-year-old station used by Amtrak. This historic station was constructed in the 1920s.

Project Manager Jodi Landi  expressed a sense of pride with the end result and the way the entire process demonstrated an excellent example of Power of the Team, one of Herzog’s core values. “The SunRail project is a great example of ‘Power of the Team’ and not just amongst the Herzog group. To accelerate the schedule and deliver the project within FDOT’s desired timeframe, it took every single person from the Owner’s team, SunRail operation, municipalities, and all contractors committing to the same goal. It’s great to see the Herzog culture spreading across those groups,” Landi said. She added that FDOT engaged effectively with the design and construction team. She hopes Herzog has the opportunity to collaborate with FDOT in the future.

 

Herzog project staff pose for a photo in front of the first SunRail train at DeLand Station. Herzog crews constructed both the new station and the 12 mile track extension running north from DeBary Station. From left to right: Mickey Tomlin, Ronnie Newell, Garet Moore, Lisa Roma, Lucas Spalding, Jodi Landi, Ranjith Rameshnaik, Mike Harlock, Warren Hallam.

 

In late 2023, Herzog project staff began discussions with FDOT about accelerating the project’s schedule. The starting date for revenue service was accelerated, which resulted in 71 fewer days for track construction and 54 fewer days for station construction. To meet the aggressive schedule, Herzog implemented seven new acceleration packages that covered work such as guideway earthwork, track and stations. Forces on the project – including Herzog personnel and subcontractors – more than doubled to meet the accelerated deadline. Simulated service ran from June 24-26. Revenue service officially began Aug. 12.

Warren Hallam, Senior Vice President of Field Operations, attended the grand opening ceremony. He called it “a joyous day for the company and every one of our individuals that were involved in the project.” He added the project exceeds expectations for the construction team, FDOT, and SunRail passengers. “It’s been some hard work, some hard couple of years, but we got it and we made it. We are very proud of our people,” Hallam said.

 

The first SunRail passengers exit onto the newly constructed DeLand Station as part of the grand opening ceremony on Aug. 9.

 

Alongside Hallam, Mickey Tomlin, Senior Vice President of Rail Systems, was in attendance at the grand opening ceremony. He said it was a coordinated effort among the systems group and the civil and track contractors, and demonstrates the kind of partnering that was necessary to reach the finish line. HTI was under a separate contract with FDOT to install new signals. HTI and HCC coordinated together extensively to maximize schedule efficiency. “They worked together to make everything happen on schedule. Everything was coordinated at the project level and it came out great,” Tomlin added.

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ABOVE: The first SunRail train rolls into the brand new DeLand Station. The train traveled north to the station on the project’s 12 mile extension from DeBary Station.