ORLANDO, Fla. — The governing body overseeing Orlando’s SunRail commuter operation has authorized a study of the Sunshine Corridor project, which would bring SunRail to Orlando International Airport and provide the first portion of a Brightline extension to Tampa.
At an April 24 meeting, the Central Florida Commuter Rail Commission agreed to conduct a project development and environmental analysis, or PD&E, study of the route from the airport to Orlando’s theme park district and the Orange County Convention Center.
The Orlando Sentinel reports the report is expected to take about two years and cost $6 million. A feasibility study addressing potential ridership, operating costs, the route and station locations, it is required before the project, estimated to cost at least $4.4 billion, could pursue state or federal funding.
The Florida Department of Transportation and the parent company for the Universal Studio theme parks have each agreed to provide $2 million toward the study. Three counties, the city of Orlando, and the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District will each contribute $500,000. Volusia County, the last of the counties served by SunRail, has yet to agree to share in the funding.
Universal has previously donated land for a station on the corridor [see “Orlando businesses pledge $125 million …,” Trains News Wire, May 6, 2022]. A special taxation district, including more than 700 acres owned by Universal and Hilton hotels, has also been created to help fund the project [see “Florida officials approve …,” News Wire, Oct. 12, 2023].
$6 million today with hopes of getting $4.4 BILLION tomorrow from…? First and foremost the counties need to figure out how to fund the SunRail they already have. A very close second is getting SunRail to the airport. ROW is NOT an issue. Room for a station is already there. Start with seven-day shuttle service to Winter Park and go from there.
2 years for a study. What a waste. It is time to start some kind of shuttle train from Sand Lake to the airport.
Volusia County (which contains Daytona Beach and Deland) is already paying for Sun Rail in the county because the City of Deland voted down a revenue sharing deal as part of getting a station. (station was built anyway)
Daytona Beach has been petitioning to get in on the Brightline deal and has even allocated land for a future train station, but Brightline says Tampa first.
So Volusia may want some skin in return for their money, like including some kind of Orlando-Daytona service as part of the planning.
IMO Daytona does need to be on Sun Rail. However, the Deland station would become obsolete as any Daytona access would be before the Deland station. What would be the best if the Sun Rail line extended the rail all the way to a FEC connection.
That would allow for all kinds of future Amtrak service. But that will probably never happen. Now where in that case of a FEC connection would a station be located.
@Alan: The Deland station is on the former CSX (now FDOT) line to Jacksonville. Daytona is on the FEC line to Jacksonville, but on the coast to the east.
Brightline currently holds the passenger rail rights on the Cocoa-Jacksonville segment.
Ages ago there used to be a rail line that split off the CSX line, went through downtown Deland and went over to the coast, but its just an industrial spur now.
It was just a couple years ago that Jeff Brower and the rest of the County Board were in talks to bring Sun Rail, not Brightline to Daytona. That project has been put on the shelf with grandstanding playing a part.
Brightline to Jacksonville is on the long range map extending North from Cocoa which would run through Daytona. Maybe Bunnell can get another station in the same spot as one years ago there on the FEC.