SunRail Expansion / Extensions

While seeking a route from Tavares to Miami, Mr. Google told me of a Sunrail #31. https://goo.gl/maps/984CCUDzFNP2
But I don't see any mention of same on the Sunrail page.
Huh?

http://www.votran.org/core/fileparse.ph ... 161128.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Oh! Thanks. Never would have guessed Sunrail meant a bus line of a different provider

Has a SunRail branch up that way ever been considered?

Which city is "up that way"?
DeBarry or DeLand where Bus 31 visits; Tavares or Miami this recent discussion started with?
That's the problem with using pronouns before using the noun in a new post, few if any of us know what "that" means.


FYI: Sunrail owns 61 miles of the railroad corridor they bought from CSX from DeLand to Poinciana.
All Sunrail studies have been limited to the railroad corridor between these two cities, and short branches lines from this corridor.
Sunrail already reaches DeBarry, and have studied going to DeLand. They have not studied providing commuter rail service to Tavares or Miami.

I was specifically referring to Tavares. My apologies for the vagueness

There has been one study for a passenger rail connection linking Tavares to Orlando, but it was not done by SunRail. Check out this Wiki link:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orange_Blossom_Express" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
And here is another link:
http://www.lakesumtermpo.com/regional_i ... press.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A Feasibility study are not an Environment Impact Study (EIS), which needs to be initiated before Federal funds could be allocated to it. These links are fairly old, and I do not know the result of this study. But it seems all later studies for Lake and Sumter counties involve increasing bus services, so I'm assuming the Orange Blossom Express train service was aborted as the result of this study.

Deland is a historic (circa 1860) station out in the woods. I boarded the Star there. It has its own gazebo! It even had semaphores on the roof at some point.

It's single-track; the adjacent abandoned track has enough twists and dips to be used at an amusement part.

One question: the bulletin board made mention of a discontinued "East West" line of some ilk; what would that have been?

http://www.fox35orlando.com/home/volusi ... nto-deland

VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. (FOX 35 ORLANDO) - To build or not to build? That is the question that Volusia County leaders hope the public will help them answer, concerning the planned expansion of SunRail to DeLand.

County Chair Ed Kelley says he was notified on Friday that a funding source was available that could provide more than $19 million to get the Phase 2 north segment of the project started. The catch? The county would have to examine, assess, hold public meetings and approve the funds by Wednesday, July 17.

Kelley says the project had been shelved for several years, and as a result, final construction estimates have gone from $35 million to $100 million. Additionally, he says the county would be responsible for maintenance and up-keep of SunRail, once the project is complete.

Sun Rail just barely goes into Volusia county at DeBarry. Deland is much farther. But the ideal would be to Daytona also in Volusia county that would require ew ROW. A stop at the race track--------you do the math.

One problem with Deland is that the depot is "out of town", so to speak. OTOH, there's a university in town, and that tends to add riders, but not daily. Some sort of public transit connection would be a must, I think.

Do not use Amtrak station at Deland. SunRail has for the most part built their own designs for all stations and as well at Amtrak stations at Kissimmee, Orlando Amtrak, and Winter Park. New ROW to downtown Daytona which is county seat much needed with a stop at the speedway.

Sun rail cannon even meet expansion on Sat March 4th. Special event overloaded passengers with only some 2 car trains. Sun Rail has refused to add regular weekend service. It is especially needed whenever any sports or other ites happens in downtown Orlando.

https://sunrail.com/ride-sunrail-for-fr ... y-march-4/

https://capitalsoup.com/2023/02/28/ride ... y-march-4/

Deland set to open in 2024: WESH.com

SunRail expanding to DeLand; new station to open in 2024

DELAND, Fla. —
SunRail is expanding service to DeLand and is expected to start service there in 2024.

Officials broke ground on the new station Monday, which will be adjacent to the Amtrak Station at 2491 Old New York Avenue in DeLand.

The expansion to DeLand marks SunRail's 17th station along the SunRail Commuter Rail System across Central Florida.

SunRail will be enhancing the tracks already in place between DeBary and DeLand, including adding four miles of double tracking for increased capacity.
...

... and Polk County: WFTV.com

FDOT releases new details about proposed SunRail extension to Polk CountyPOLK COUNTY, Fla. — The Florida Department of Transportation recently revealed new details about a proposed SunRail extension down to Polk County.

The agency projects expanding the commuter train from Poinciana to Lakeland will bring more than 300,000 additional rides each year, and cut out 14 million car miles.

There would be seven stops including Auburndale, Davenport, Haines City, Lake Alfred and Lakeland.

It’s projected to cost $850 million to complete and would be done in two phases.
...