How would you grade Central Florida’s SunRail commuter
train system?
It’s hard to believe that SunRail will soon be 6 months
old. It began service on May 1.
So how would you grade SunRail?
We think overall SunRail deserves high praise for the
launch of commuter train service in our community, but there’s lots of room for
improvement.
Now let’s get to specifics:
Facilities
The stations are generally well designed. We particularly
like aesthetic touches at stations, such as the metal sculpture wading birds at
Sand Lake Road and the orange-crate art at DeBary.
Spaces are free and plentiful at most of the stations
where parking is provided. However, the automatic ticket vending machines are
slow and sometimes unreliable. There continue to be problems with a few
crossing gates. But the worst problem is the poorly designed platform canopies
that provide scant protection from the sun and rain. Whoever designed those canopies deserves a kick in the pants.
Grade: B minus
Trains
The SunRail trains are great. They’re comfortable and
well designed. The train crews, especially the conductors, are fabulous.
Grade:
A
Fare
The fare is an outstanding bargain. Try driving round trip
from South Orange County to DeBary in Volusia County for $7.50. Can’t be done.
However, many riders are rightly pissed off with the labeling
of tickets in the vending machines. One ticket selection is for a 7-day ticket,
even though SunRail only runs Monday through Friday. Many riders feel they’re
getting ripped off because you only get 5 days of rides on a 7-day ticket, and
you must use the ticket on 5 consecutive days.
This untruthful labeling highlights just reminds people that SunRail
doesn’t run on weekends. Labeling is equally deceptive for 30-day tickets.
Grade:
C
Reliability
SunRail has an excellent on-time record. But when things
go wrong, it’s time for Katie to bar the door. Most of SunRail problems are
caused by people and vehicles trespassing on the tracks, despite a robust
public-education program.
SunRail’s responses to these problems have been uneven.
SunRail needs to be much better prepared for the unexpected because things are
bound to go wrong. Riders depend on SunRail to get them to their destinations,
regardless problems.
The biggest service deficiency is that SunRail does not
provide service on the weekends or during late-night hours. SunRail remains stubbornly
reluctant to expand service despite a petition signed by more than 2,000
people. Weekend service would mean a tremendous boost to businesses and
cultural venues throughout Central Florida.
Grade:
C minus
Customer
service
We live in the hospitality capital of the world, yet SunRail
doesn’t seem to have much aptitude for customer service. They're not rude, they're neglectful.
Getting rid of the SunRail Ambassadors who worked on the
station platforms was a terrible idea. Even though they were hired as temps,
they proved to be invaluable in answering questions, helping with balky ticket
vending machines and reinforcing operating and safety rules. Riders really
appreciated the assistance provided by the Ambassadors.
SunRail does a poor job of communicating with riders
waiting on platforms when there are service interruptions. We’re happy SunRail
is now working on a text messaging system to contact riders, but why wasn’t
that done before SunRail started operations?
Based on what we’ve seen SunRail needs lessons in disaster
planning and customer recovery. To improve they should reach out to the airlines
and Disney -- businesses that have extensive experience and knowledge in those
subjects.
Grade:
D
SunRail’s
overall grade: B minus
Lynx and Votran also deserve a B grade for providing the essential public bus service that connects
many neighborhoods to SunRail stations.
So what’s your grade for SunRail?
