ORLANDO, Florida (AP) - Work on a 7-mile stretch of track that will be used by SunRail trains begins this week in central Florida.

The Orlando Sentinel reports the Florida Department of Transportation will start work Monday on a part of the track running from the OrlandoAmtrak Station to Lake Avenue in Maitland.

The project will correct the alignment of rails, making them level to ensure a smooth ride for passengers. The work is expected to take several weeks. 

The 61-mile SunRail project will stretch from Volusia County, to the northeast of Orlando, to Osceola County, to the south. The first phase of the project will connect Orlando with DeBary, a community that is about halfway to Daytona Beach.

The $1.3 billion project is slated to be finished in 2016.

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