DeLAND, Fla. — Government officials in Volusia County, Fla., are asking to be included in discussions about a plan for Brightline and commuter operator SunRail to share a corridor to the Disney World area, expressing concerns about possible increases in SunRail operating costs that could result.
Volusia County is one of five partners in SunRail’s governing board, the Central Florida Commuter Rail Commission, along with the city of Orlando and Osceola, Orange, and Seminole counties. SunRail operation is slated to transition from the state to those partners in 2024.
The Orlando Business Journal, in a paywalled article, says the Volusia County Council approved sending a letter to the rail commission expressing concerns about not being included in discussions of a plan that would see SunRail expand from weekday to daily operation, as well as the potential expansion which would connect SunRail to Orlando International Airport, the area around the Orange County Convention Center, and Disney World. The prospect of an agreement for the shared route was reported last month following negotiations spearheaded by Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer [see “Orlando plan would extend SunRail to Disney World …,” Trains News Wire, April 6, 2022].
The letter also suggests the proposed new corridor may require an amendment to the existing SunRail operating agreement, which only covers the existing 61-mile corridor and does not address daily service.
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