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McIntyre2K7 said:
It appears FDOT is holding a virtual workshop to extend SunRail to Lakeland. There could be 7 additional stops. You can view the study at the url below.

https://sunrailext.meetsyou.online/
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If they are going to extend it to Lakeland they might as well add an additional 3 stops and extend it to Tampa. I know CSX would need to approve it but people could take day trips to Orlando without dealing with I-4. They could start shuttle services from the Sand Lake Rd Station. The shuttle would take 20 minutes to get from that stop to either Universal or SeaWorld. It's a 10 minute ride to MCO from there. Disney could start a shuttle from the Poinciana stop.


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Hmmm. Why CSX and not go along with Brightline? I actually prefer Sunrail use CSX and leave high speed to Brightline, though. There should be some crossover opportunities, though, for straphangers.
 
VentureForth said:
Hmmm. Why CSX and not go along with Brightline? I actually prefer Sunrail use CSX and leave high speed to Brightline, though. There should be some crossover opportunities, though, for straphangers.
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CSX by its location allows the 5 planned stations to be in towns rather than in a highway median, making it more user friendly for a commuter type service. Ironically, the same reason that the planned Northeast Corridor for TriRail is planned along the FECR corridor rather than the current TriRail corridor around Miami.
 
Trains' Newswire had a recap of the plans for Sunshine Corridor to connect Orlando airport with the theme parks and provide access for Brightline on its Tampa route. The report included the announcement today in the Orlando Sentinel (paywall) of plans to provide funding through a Community development District. Excerpts from that article
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ORLANDO, Fla. — Officials in Florida’s Orange County will be asked to approve a special development district to help pay for an 11-mile rail line that would link Brightline and SunRail service to Orlando International Airport, the county’s convention center, and theme parks.

Universal City Development Partners, which is affiliated with the Universal theme parks in the Orlando area, is asking Orange County commissioners to create the Shingle Creek Transit and Utility Community Development District. The district would cover 719 acres, most of which involves Universal-owned land for an under-construction theme park, Epic Universe. Hilton is the only other property owner in the proposed district.

The board is scheduled to vote on the request Oct. 10 after a public hearing.

Property assessments from the district and the sale of tax-exempt bonds would be used to fund $174 million in public infrastructure. That includes a commitment of $125 million by Universal and other business for the “Sunshine Corridor” rail project,
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Surprisingly Universal seems to be taking the lead here, not Disney.
 
This route will take quite a bit of construction. If the proposal is approved Sun Rail can start fairly soon from DeBary to the airport. Mainly another track to be laid between those 2 points. Have family and others near the Poinciana Sun Rail station. They really want to ride Sun Rail to the airport and not drive. But Sun Rail still not operating on weekends really will hurt due to their many airline flights. Several persons they knew really want to take Sun Rail and Brightline to / from south Florida.
 
Have a relative living near the Poinciana station. Persons around him including persons living in Kissimmee really want Sun Rail to go to the Orlando airport. I-4 is a real disaster trying to get to the airport at some times of the day. Can it be the airport does not want to loose parking revenue and is back door opposing Sun Rail to airport?
 
west point said:
This route will take quite a bit of construction. If the proposal is approved Sun Rail can start fairly soon from DeBary to the airport. Mainly another track to be laid between those 2 points. Have family and others near the Poinciana Sun Rail station. They really want to ride Sun Rail to the airport and not drive. But Sun Rail still not operating on weekends really will hurt due to their many airline flights. Several persons they knew really want to take Sun Rail and Brightline to / from south Florida.
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I have no idea what this "another track" you speak of. They will lay a second track along the power house siding that will connect Sun Rail to the Airport. Additionally they will have to construct a new low level platform station with two platform tracks east of the Brightline station for Sun Rail at the OIA station. None of it is currently funded.
west point said:
Have a relative living near the Poinciana station. Persons around him including persons living in Kissimmee really want Sun Rail to go to the Orlando airport. I-4 is a real disaster trying to get to the airport at some times of the day. Can it be the airport does not want to loose parking revenue and is back door opposing Sun Rail to airport?
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Theoretically it could be but it is not the case. Greater Orlando Airport Authority built and owns the station. Why would they do that if they did not want trains to serve it? Sun Rail funding has to be secured to do the construction mentioned above before Sun Rail can come to the Airport. It is what is known as Sun Rail Phase III. It is not the Airport's job to secure this funding.
 
jis said:
Why would they do that if they did not want trains to serve it? Sun Rail funding has to be secured to do the construction mentioned above before Sun Rail can come to the Airport.
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But we can be thankful that OIA and/or FDOT had the foresight to do some of the infrastructure work to make access easier/cheaper. This is the approach to Terminal C with an underpass for APM, Brightline, and presumably SunRail.
1696360689354.jpeg
 
Indeed this was based on a plan of rail access to the airport, and indeed it is GOAA that took it on board and built infrastructure with accommodation for rail access. That third underpass according to that plan was supposed to be used by an LRT system that was supposed to connect to I-Drive along Sandlake Road. Of course that never came to pass, and the current plan for extending SunRail from OIA as East-West Corridor along Brightline to Innovation Way, makes that underpass somewhat redundant, since they could just use the Brightline trackage through there. But it is available to give more flexibility should it be needed.
 
west point said:
Have a relative living near the Poinciana station. Persons around him including persons living in Kissimmee really want Sun Rail to go to the Orlando airport. I-4 is a real disaster trying to get to the airport at some times of the day. Can it be the airport does not want to loose parking revenue and is back door opposing Sun Rail to airport?
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There's LYNX bus service (Route 111) that runs from the Sand Lake Road Sun Rail station to the Orlando Airport. It runs from 5am to 10:30pm on the weekdays. There's 30 minute service during the peak hours (5am-9am). While the bus service is nice, I wouldn't mind seeing an all day shuttle that goes between MCO and the SunRail Station. They can end the shuttle service once the east-west line is created.

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Our local newspaper, the weekly Beacon, had an interesting article on Deland expansion and larger picture of funding for SunRail. A few tidbits (quoting SunRail CEO Mike Heffinger):
-Deland expansion target date May 2024
- Florida DOT will be turning ownership of SunRail over to the Central Florida Commuter Rail Service (CFCRS) possibly by 2024.
-once that happens the ‘local partners’ (counties) will be responsible for budget shortfalls.
-2023-24 Budget for SunRail calls for a budget of $81.6m. Income of $34.2m
- part of shortfall is $10m due to PTC implementation
-ridership revenue projected at $2.2m
- other income from charters, CSX track usage, advertising, and grants
-FDOT will assist in getting additional federal grants
-Current ticket system costs $3m. The new one next year will cost $600k.

No wonder the counties are nervous!

Increasing ridership will be essential. Best way to do that is expand service on the proposed Sunshine Corridor and weekend service. The next few years will be interesting!
 
Well it looks like Sunrail could be growing into a 100 mile long commuter rail line. Some points.

FDOT releases new details about proposed SunRail extension to this local county

*The Polk County extension will be split into two phases.
*It'll cost $850 million dollars, which is less than phase one of the 31 mile Sunrail corridor from Debary to Sand Lake Road.
*Polk County will contribute $12 million to the annual operating costs.
 
Previous story about Polk expansion has a link to this:

What must happen for Sunrail weekend service

Basically perpetual Mayor Buddy Dyer is saying the airport link needs to happen for weekend and more frequent service. In reverse, the airport link will not work without increased frequency and weekend service. A good sign is that he also is pushing that the Sunshine Corridor needs to be subdivided and the first phase needs to be CRFC mainline to MCO (obvious but needs to be said out loud) and Convention Center and beyond open later. This isn't curing cancer or cold fusion: the OUC line is in place as well as BL to the MCO station. Yes, major upgrades (double track, signaling, etc.) are needed and the MCO station ground floor needs buildout, but the fundamentals are already in place - the OUC spur. If Brightline can build 40+ miles of brand new track from MCO to the FEC main, certainly FDOT/CFRC can go 5 miles on an existing ROW
 
The Deland ‘Beacon’ had another story today on the Sunrail extension tonDeland. The five local governments, including Volusia (Deland), on the hook for operating and capital costs are apparently getting more concerned as the transition for this responsibility gets closer. Volusia county is pushing for a longer - 7 year- transition period but isn’t optimistic. A 3 year transition seems more likely. A FDOT draft report calls for Aug. 15 2024 turnover.

The deficit was $35 million for year ending 6/30/23 (but included income of $13 million from a federal stimulus bill). In addition the county must share in repaying the capital debt of $43million for the improvements.

As @jis recently reported the $2 billion expansion to the airport with weekend service is being actively pursued. That will be critical for the additional revenue to help offset the costs for Orlando and the four counties.
 
Palmland said:
As @jis recently reported the $2 billion expansion to the airport with weekend service is being actively pursued. That will be critical for the additional revenue to help offset the costs for Orlando and the four counties.
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The Airport extension would be eligible for funding from one of the various BIL inspired funding sources possibly for the first several years. That is also what could fund the 7 day service to some extent.
 
I got up to the Deland site on 2/16/24 and took a few pix and a short video. I'll have to convert the video as it is too large at 75MB to upload.. The ground around the Amtrak station is a disaster with all the work but the Sunrail station is coming right along.
 

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Just talked to an intermittent rider of Sun Rail. Uses the Poinciana and Amtrak (Orlando regional hospital) stations. Poinciana parking is usually 1/2 to 3/4 full. Says that biggest complaints from people boarding at Poinciana is no Sun Rail service to Orlando airport. I -4 connecting to airport drive is terrible. Afternoon boarding at ORH he always has to stand for several stops,
Osceola county persons are rather perturbed. They seem to know that the tracks are already there and just need upgrading.
 
west point said:
Just talked to an intermittent rider of Sun Rail. Uses the Poinciana and Amtrak (Orlando regional hospital) stations. Poinciana parking is usually 1/2 to 3/4 full. Says that biggest complaints from people boarding at Poinciana is no Sun Rail service to Orlando airport. I -4 connecting to airport drive is terrible. Afternoon boarding at ORH he always has to stand for several stops,
Osceola county persons are rather perturbed. They seem to know that the tracks are already there and just need upgrading.
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And a new platform and tracks to it need to be built and PTC installed in the upgraded track too. People seem to know all sorts of things and not know other important things 🙄
 

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