Amtrak passengers using Tampa's Union Station will benefit from a $1.6 million federal stimulus allocation to improve the aging canopy over the tracks and upgrade the platform to comply with Amtrak and Americans with Disabilities Act standards.
Overall, Amtrak is getting $1.3 billion of the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds for a variety of programs, including $49.2 million in Florida.
The Auto Train station in Sanford will get more than $10 million for renovations to a station that can only accommodate between 15 percent and 25 percent of its passengers.
In the past year, Amtrak's ridership has set national records. Tampa serves one-third of the passengers who travel on the daily Silver Star between New York and Miami.
Among projects nationwide is a $20.1 million restoration of the historical train station in Wilmington, Del., Amtrak's 11th-busiest facility.
That project was advertised in August, before the station's most famous frequent passenger, former U.S. Sen. Joe Biden, was elected vice president, Amtrak spokeswoman Karina Romero said.
"I'm tired of apologizing for Amtrak," Biden said in March when he announced Amtrak's stimulus package, pointing out that highways and air systems get higher subsidies.
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