Start early on SunRail Sunday

Get an early start. That’s the best advice we can offer for anyone heading to the Orlando City soccer match at the Citrus Bowl stadium in Orlando.

Sunday, is a historic occasion, not just for our new Major League Soccer team that will play its first match on Sunday, but also for all of Central Florida. This is the first time SunRail has carried passengers on the weekend – a goal that we’ve been campaigning to achieve since last summer.

It’s also important to note that the soccer match is far from the only game in town on Sunday.

The Orlando Magic is playing at downtown’s Amway Center; there’s an event at downtown’s Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts; our friends in Winter Park are hosting their annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade, and the Mennello Museum of American Art at Loch Haven Park – near the Florida Hospital SunRail station -- is offering free admission on Sunday, plus a host of other activities throughout the area.

With all of that on the agenda, SunRail is sure to be crowded. We expect there will also be a fair number of riders who have never used our commuter train system before.

We want everything to go smoothly and safely.

A couple of dos and don’ts for those who have never used SunRail before.

1.    If you’re using the parking lot at a SunRail station, please be sure to lock your vehicle and don’t leave valuables where they can be seen from outside your car. The parking lots are generally safe, but from time to time vehicles have been burglarized.

2.    Please be sure to consult the special train schedule for Sunday because you don’t want to miss the last train home. (Don’t forget to change you watch/clock ahead one hour for Daylight Savings Time that starts early Sunday morning.)

3.    Don’t worry about buying tickets on Sunday. The ride is free.

4.    Please stay behind the yellow line on the platform because we want you to stay safe.

5.    Be careful whenever you have to cross the tracks, and only cross at the designated crossings. (This advice applies to motorists as well.)

6.    Please refrain from smoking on the platform.

7.    Please refrain from eating on the train, and only bring beverages in containers with lids to reduce the possibility of spills on the train.

8.    Please let riders get off the train before you try to board.

9.    It will be crowded, so please make room for others to sit – especially our senior citizens and those with disabilities. Hey guys, knock off the “man spreading” – close those legs and stop taking up so much space.

10. While riding listen out for announcements so you know when you’re about to arrive at your station, and please don’t wait until the last minute to get off.

See you on The Rail.