SunRail
Encyclopedia
SunRail is a planned commuter rail system in the greater Orlando, Florida area, linking Poinciana
to DeLand through Downtown Orlando
. When Phase 1 is completed, SunRail will run for 31 miles (49.9 km) with 17 stations along the CSX Transportation
"A" Line (former Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
main line).
The SunRail system is being financed by the counties, the state, and the federal government. It is expected to be fully completed sometime in 2016, with the first phase operating as early as 2014.
The new commuter rail system is to be financed by the federal government, the state and the counties. Volusia County
, Seminole County
, Orange County
, the City of Orlando
and Osceola County
are the partners in the project. Fifty percent of the funding is to come from a federal transit "New Starts" grant. The local partners are responsible for 25 percent of the cost and another 25 percent is to be paid by the State of Florida. This includes the cost of track improvements, construction of train stations, and of purchasing rail cars.
On 22 December 2010, it was announced that the state of Florida had created an escrow account with $173 million. The money was planned to be used to purchase the tracks SunRail will operate on, and also allowed the state to formally request $300 million from the federal government to cover construction costs.
said, "I don't envision a time anytime soon where thoughtful senators are going to say that there's some kind of good public policy involved in taking liability away from somebody who was at fault and putting it on the taxpayers of the state of Florida."
The contract between CSX and Florida DOT was in place through June 30, 2009, and the legislature planned to use another opportunity to consider and approve the agreement in the 2009 legislative session. The bill made it through all necessary Senate committee approvals and the first segment of the project had already been approved to enter Final Design by the Federal Transit Administration on August 11, 2008.
On January 14, 2009, the SunRail name and logo were presented to the public by City of Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer
. Progress continued to move slowly forward on the project until the state legeslative session on April 30, 2009 when the project was once again defeated by a 23-17 vote. The movement against the project, which was once again led by state senators Paula Dockery and Mike Bennett, continued to revolve around an amendment that would have approved a $200 million insurance policy for SunRail. The proposed insurance, however, was similar to the arrangement the state already had with FEC for the South Florida Tri-Rail system. Another political problem for SunRail was an overall lack of support for the project from the South Florida delegation (which included state senators Chris Smith of Fort Lauderdale, Dan Gelber of Miami Beach, Nan Rich of Weston and Frederica Wilson of Miami) effectively killed the bill.
After the second failure, with the deadline to purchase the tracks in question from CSX looming, the state initially pulled the plan from the legislative agenda, endangering as much as $307 million in federal funds that had been promised to SunRail, which would have been taken away if the plan failed. Nearly $27 million of that federal money had already been spent to purchase rail equipment and land for stations and it was unknown whether or not the State of Florida would have had to pay the money back to the federal government. However, CSX rescinded the deadline on June 29, permitting more negotiation time for insurance arrangements. An agreement on insurance was finally reached, and lawmakers convened a special session in December 2009 that passed the House on December 7 and the Senate on December 8. Additional federal money may be attracted to reduce the financial cost to the state.
On December 8, 2009 the contractual requirement necessary to move forward with SunRail was passed along with funding for South Florida's Tri-Rail
system. At the bill's signing Senate President Jeff Atwater said "Today, Florida is embracing the opportunity to lead the nation in developing a comprehensive transportation system, thereby ensuring our competitive edge in the 21st Century global economy. A comprehensive transportation system, creating opportunities and avenues to connect employers and employees, is integral to building a stronger future for Florida."
Negotiations with Amtrak subsequently led to a dispute over which party would bear liability for incidents on Amtrak trains operating on the route, which would be owned by SunRail—Amtrak wanted SunRail to assume responsibility for such incidents, while SunRail wanted Amtrak to be liable. The purchase of the trackage from CSX could not be completed until an agreement with Amtrak was reached. On December 10, 2010, it was announced that Amtrak and the state had apparently reached a deal regarding the issue, as Amtrak had dropped its opposition to the sale.
On January 29, 2011, Florida Governor Rick Scott froze all SunRail contracts and ordered a six-month legislative review of the project to determine whether the project was a good investment. However, on July 1, 2011, Florida Department of Transportation
Secretary Ananth Prasad announced that Scott had finally approved the project.
† Osceola County has agreed in principle, but is examining how to fund its $9.3-million share.
round trips, the Silver Meteor
and the Silver Star, as well as by numerous CSX freight trains. It was also used by an Amtrak tri-weekly trip, the Sunset Limited
from Orlando to Los Angeles, which has been suspended indefinitely between Orlando and New Orleans since 2005 due to damage caused to the line by Hurricane Katrina
.
announced that the Florida Department of Transportation was in the final stages of placing orders for the rolling stock of the SunRail system, with plans at the time to order seven locomotives from MotivePower Industries and thirteen passenger cars, four coaches and nine cab cars, from Bombardier Transportation
.
On July 22, 2011, Bombardier Transportation
announced an order from the Florida Department of Transportation for fourteen BiLevel coaches at a cost of approximately US$41 million, with the potential for up to 46 additional orders. Deliveries of the coaches are planned to begin in May 2013 and continue through August.
On September 12, 2011, it was announced that SunRail had purchased seven 3,000 horsepower rebuilt locomotives from MotivePower
, with options for thirteen more and deliveries to begin from 2013.
Poinciana, Florida
Poinciana is a census-designated place in Osceola and Polk counties in the U.S. state of Florida. It lies southwest of Kissimmee and about east of Haines City...
to DeLand through Downtown Orlando
Downtown Orlando
Downtown Orlando is the historic core and central business district of Orlando, Florida, United States. It is bordered by East Marks St in the north, Mills Ave in the east, Orange Blossom Trail in the west, and Kaley Ave in the south...
. When Phase 1 is completed, SunRail will run for 31 miles (49.9 km) with 17 stations along the CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...
"A" Line (former Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad was an American railroad that existed between 1900 and 1967, when it merged with the Seaboard Air Line Railroad, its long-time rival, to form the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad...
main line).
The SunRail system is being financed by the counties, the state, and the federal government. It is expected to be fully completed sometime in 2016, with the first phase operating as early as 2014.
Route
The following stations are planned, from north to south:| Town | Station | Phase | Connections | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DeLand | DeLand Amtrak Station DeLand (Amtrak station) The DeLand Amtrak station is located several miles west of downtown DeLand, at the location formerly known as DeLand Junction. DeLand Station was originally built in 1918, and stood across from the former Volusia County Fairgrounds... |
2 | Silver Service Silver Service The Silver Service is a brand currently applied by Amtrak to two of its East Coast long-distance passenger trains operating between New York City and Miami:*Silver Meteor*Silver Star... , Proposed VOTRAN |
Park-and-ride |
| DeBary | DeBary Station | 1 | VOTRAN Route 23 | Park-and-ride |
| Sanford | Sanford/State Road 46 Station | 1 | Link 46W | Park-and-ride |
| Lake Mary | Lake Mary Station | 1 | Link 45 | Park-and-ride |
| Longwood | Longwood Station | 1 | Link 434 | Park-and-ride |
| Altamonte Springs | Altamonte Springs Station | 1 | Link 41 | Park-and-ride |
| Maitland | Maitland Station | 1 | Link 102 | Park-and-ride |
| Winter Park | Winter Park / Park Ave Station Winter Park (Amtrak station) The Winter Park Amtrak station is a train station in Winter Park, Florida, United States served by Amtrak, the national railroad passenger system. The station was originally built in 1890 as a South Florida Railroad depot, ten years after South Florida Railroad built a line from Sanford to Orlando... |
1 | Silver Service Silver Service The Silver Service is a brand currently applied by Amtrak to two of its East Coast long-distance passenger trains operating between New York City and Miami:*Silver Meteor*Silver Star... , Link 102, Link 443 |
|
| Orlando Orlando, Florida Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States... |
Florida Hospital Station | 1 | Link 102, Link 125 | Florida Hospital Florida Hospital Orlando Located in Orlando, Florida, Florida Hospital treats over 32,000 inpatients and 53,600 outpatients annually. This 900+ bed, acute-care community hospital also serves as a major tertiary facility for much of the Southeast... |
| LYNX Central Station LYNX Central Station LYNX Central Station is an existing central bus terminal for the LYNX bus system and future rail station for the SunRail commuter train in Orlando, FL. It is also home to LNYX's administrative offices.... |
1 | LYNX Lynx (transportation) LYNX is a bus system run by the Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority, serving the Orlando, Florida region. Bus routes are referred to as Links. Standard adult one-way fare is $2 with free single transfers valid for 90 minutes... |
||
| Church Street Station Church Street Station (Orlando) Church Street Station, also called the Old Orlando Railroad Depot is a historic U.S. depot in Orlando, Florida. It is located at Depot Place and West Church Street, and is a planned station on the proposed SunRail commuter rail system. It is also a commercial entertainment development in downtown... |
1 | Amway Center | ||
| Orlando Health/Amtrak Station Orlando (Amtrak station) The Orlando Amtrak station lies south of Downtown Orlando, about a mile south of the old stations at Church Street and Central Boulevard. It was built in 1926 by M. A. Griffith and W. T. Hadlow for the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad in the Spanish Mission style, and used by the Seaboard Coast Line... |
1 | Link 40 | Orlando Regional Medical Center Orlando Regional Medical Center Orlando Regional Medical Center , is a 808-bed tertiary hospital in downtown Orlando, Florida.-External links:* Official Website* Official Website... |
|
| Sand Lake Road Station | 1 | Link 7,11, 18, 42, and 111 | Park-and-ride | |
| Meadow Woods | Meadow Woods | 2 | Park-and-ride | |
| Hunters Creek | Osceola Parkway Station | 2 | Park-and-ride | |
| Kissimmee | Kissimmee Amtrak Station Kissimmee (Amtrak station) The Kissimmee Amtrak station is a train station in Kissimmee, Florida, United States served by Amtrak, the national railroad passenger system. Kissimmee station was originally built as a South Florida Railroad Depot 1883, and replaced by an Atlantic Coast Line Depot in 1910, which is the building... |
2 | Park-and-ride | |
| Poinciana | Poinciana Station | 2 | Park-and-ride |
Cost and funding
The total cost of the system is estimated at $615 million for construction plus $491 million to purchase the right of way and tracks. The state of Florida will purchase the "A" Line from DeLand to Poinciana from CSX. The money was above the $615 million quoted for the system, which will have CSX still run some limited freight at night on the "A" Line, but most freight traffic is planned to be rerouted.The new commuter rail system is to be financed by the federal government, the state and the counties. Volusia County
Volusia County, Florida
Volusia County is a county located in the state of Florida. The U.S. Census Bureau 2010 official county's population was 494,593 . Its county seat is DeLand, and its most populous city is currently Deltona....
, Seminole County
Seminole County, Florida
Seminole County is a county in the U.S. state of Florida. Located between Orlando to the south and Deland and Daytona Beach to the north, it is part of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. Its county seat and largest city is Sanford...
, Orange County
Orange County, Florida
Orange County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida and is part of the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford Metropolitan Statistical Area . As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 1,145,956....
, the City of Orlando
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
and Osceola County
Osceola County, Florida
Osceola County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 172,493. The U.S. Census Bureau 2006 estimate for the county is 244,045, making it the 17th fastest-growing county in the United States. Its county seat is Kissimmee.- History :Osceola County was...
are the partners in the project. Fifty percent of the funding is to come from a federal transit "New Starts" grant. The local partners are responsible for 25 percent of the cost and another 25 percent is to be paid by the State of Florida. This includes the cost of track improvements, construction of train stations, and of purchasing rail cars.
On 22 December 2010, it was announced that the state of Florida had created an escrow account with $173 million. The money was planned to be used to purchase the tracks SunRail will operate on, and also allowed the state to formally request $300 million from the federal government to cover construction costs.
Project planning and approvals
An agreement was reached between Florida Department of Transportation and CSX for the purchase of the tracks on November 29, 2007, and the Florida Legislature approved the CSX-Florida Department of Transportation agreement in order for project construction to begin. However, the legislature failed to vote on the agreement to purchase the right of way and tracks from CSX in the 2008 session. At issue were provisions regarding liability and indemnification. Commenting on the bill, state senator Paula DockeryPaula Dockery
Paula Dockery is a Republican Party member of the Florida Senate.- Early life :Paula was born in Queens, New York, June 6, 1961.Dockery moved to Florida as a child, in 1968. She earned a bachelor of arts degree in Political Science from the University of Florida in 1983. Later she graduated with...
said, "I don't envision a time anytime soon where thoughtful senators are going to say that there's some kind of good public policy involved in taking liability away from somebody who was at fault and putting it on the taxpayers of the state of Florida."
The contract between CSX and Florida DOT was in place through June 30, 2009, and the legislature planned to use another opportunity to consider and approve the agreement in the 2009 legislative session. The bill made it through all necessary Senate committee approvals and the first segment of the project had already been approved to enter Final Design by the Federal Transit Administration on August 11, 2008.
On January 14, 2009, the SunRail name and logo were presented to the public by City of Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer
Buddy Dyer
John Hugh "Buddy" Dyer is mayor of Orlando, Florida, first elected in 2003. He is a member of the United States Democratic Party. Previously he represented Orlando in the Florida State Senate for ten years, including three years when he was the Senate Democratic leader.-Early life:Dyer was born in...
. Progress continued to move slowly forward on the project until the state legeslative session on April 30, 2009 when the project was once again defeated by a 23-17 vote. The movement against the project, which was once again led by state senators Paula Dockery and Mike Bennett, continued to revolve around an amendment that would have approved a $200 million insurance policy for SunRail. The proposed insurance, however, was similar to the arrangement the state already had with FEC for the South Florida Tri-Rail system. Another political problem for SunRail was an overall lack of support for the project from the South Florida delegation (which included state senators Chris Smith of Fort Lauderdale, Dan Gelber of Miami Beach, Nan Rich of Weston and Frederica Wilson of Miami) effectively killed the bill.
After the second failure, with the deadline to purchase the tracks in question from CSX looming, the state initially pulled the plan from the legislative agenda, endangering as much as $307 million in federal funds that had been promised to SunRail, which would have been taken away if the plan failed. Nearly $27 million of that federal money had already been spent to purchase rail equipment and land for stations and it was unknown whether or not the State of Florida would have had to pay the money back to the federal government. However, CSX rescinded the deadline on June 29, permitting more negotiation time for insurance arrangements. An agreement on insurance was finally reached, and lawmakers convened a special session in December 2009 that passed the House on December 7 and the Senate on December 8. Additional federal money may be attracted to reduce the financial cost to the state.
On December 8, 2009 the contractual requirement necessary to move forward with SunRail was passed along with funding for South Florida's Tri-Rail
Tri-Rail
Tri-Rail is a commuter rail line linking Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach, Florida, United States. It is run by the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority. The system has 18 stations along the South Florida coast...
system. At the bill's signing Senate President Jeff Atwater said "Today, Florida is embracing the opportunity to lead the nation in developing a comprehensive transportation system, thereby ensuring our competitive edge in the 21st Century global economy. A comprehensive transportation system, creating opportunities and avenues to connect employers and employees, is integral to building a stronger future for Florida."
Negotiations with Amtrak subsequently led to a dispute over which party would bear liability for incidents on Amtrak trains operating on the route, which would be owned by SunRail—Amtrak wanted SunRail to assume responsibility for such incidents, while SunRail wanted Amtrak to be liable. The purchase of the trackage from CSX could not be completed until an agreement with Amtrak was reached. On December 10, 2010, it was announced that Amtrak and the state had apparently reached a deal regarding the issue, as Amtrak had dropped its opposition to the sale.
On January 29, 2011, Florida Governor Rick Scott froze all SunRail contracts and ordered a six-month legislative review of the project to determine whether the project was a good investment. However, on July 1, 2011, Florida Department of Transportation
Florida Department of Transportation
The Florida Department of Transportation is a decentralized agency charged with the establishment, maintenance, and regulation of public transportation in the state of Florida. The department was formed in 1969. It absorbed the powers of the Florida State Road Department...
Secretary Ananth Prasad announced that Scott had finally approved the project.
Approval votes
- Orange County - 7-0 - July 19, 2007
- City of Orlando - 7-0 - July 23, 2007
- Seminole County - 5-0 - July 24, 2007
- Osceola County - 5-0† - July 30, 2007
- Volusia County - July 31, 2007
† Osceola County has agreed in principle, but is examining how to fund its $9.3-million share.
Technical
Operation
The SunRail line is presently used by two daily AmtrakAmtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
round trips, the Silver Meteor
Silver Meteor
The Silver Meteor is a 1389-mile passenger train route operated by Amtrak in the Silver Service brand, running from New York City, New York, south to Miami, Florida, via the Northeast Corridor to Washington, D.C., thence via Richmond, Virginia; Fayetteville, North Carolina; North Charleston, South...
and the Silver Star, as well as by numerous CSX freight trains. It was also used by an Amtrak tri-weekly trip, the Sunset Limited
Sunset Limited
The Sunset Limited is a passenger train that for most of its history has run between New Orleans, Louisiana and Los Angeles, California, and that from early 1993 through late August 2005 also ran east of New Orleans to Jacksonville, Florida, making it during that time the only true transcontinental...
from Orlando to Los Angeles, which has been suspended indefinitely between Orlando and New Orleans since 2005 due to damage caused to the line by Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
.
Rolling stock
On May 10, 2010, the Orlando SentinelOrlando Sentinel
The Orlando Sentinel is the primary newspaper of the Orlando, Florida region. It was founded in 1876. The Sentinel is owned by Tribune Company and is overseen by the Chicago Tribune. As of 2005, the Sentinel’s president and publisher was Kathleen Waltz; she announced her resignation in February 2008...
announced that the Florida Department of Transportation was in the final stages of placing orders for the rolling stock of the SunRail system, with plans at the time to order seven locomotives from MotivePower Industries and thirteen passenger cars, four coaches and nine cab cars, from Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation is the rail equipment division of the Canadian firm, Bombardier Inc. Bombardier Transportation is one of the world's largest companies in the rail-equipment manufacturing and servicing industry. Its headquarters are in Berlin, Germany....
.
On July 22, 2011, Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation is the rail equipment division of the Canadian firm, Bombardier Inc. Bombardier Transportation is one of the world's largest companies in the rail-equipment manufacturing and servicing industry. Its headquarters are in Berlin, Germany....
announced an order from the Florida Department of Transportation for fourteen BiLevel coaches at a cost of approximately US$41 million, with the potential for up to 46 additional orders. Deliveries of the coaches are planned to begin in May 2013 and continue through August.
On September 12, 2011, it was announced that SunRail had purchased seven 3,000 horsepower rebuilt locomotives from MotivePower
Wabtec
Wabtec Corporation is an American company formed by the merger of the Westinghouse Air Brake Company and MotivePower Industries Corporation in 1999....
, with options for thirteen more and deliveries to begin from 2013.