You’ll have to wait longer before you ride can SunRail in
Osceola County.
During the SunRail Commission meeting on Thursday, SunRail
CEO Nicola Liquori told officials Osceola SunRail service probably won’t start
before July 2018.
That news ticked off Osceola County Commissioner Viviana
Janer who voiced her displeasure last year when she heard the start date had
been pushed back.
At one time, officials said the train service to Kissimmee
would begin late in 2017, then they said early 2018. So much for that.
The longer Osceola train service is delayed means the
county will get fewer dollars in transportation reimbursement funds from the
federal government.
To be fair, the pushed-back start date is a bad hand of
cards that Liquori inherited last summer when she was tapped to take the reins
at SunRail.
The previous management pledged to begin service by early
2018.
Before SunRail can begin carrying riders between Sand Lake
Road and Poinciana federal officials must complete numerous approvals.
Approvals take time.
Extending the train service means reconstructing bridges,
laying a second set of tracks and building passenger station at Meadow Woods in
Orange County, and adding three Osceola stations at Tupperware/Osceola Parkway,
downtown Kissimmee and Poinciana.
The good news is that workers have almost completed
building a massive parking structure at the Kissimmee station and impressive
progress has been made at all the other stations.
One day we’ll see you on The Rail in Kissimmee.
