SunRail ridership jumps on the 1st day of Southern Expansion

The numbers are in for SunRail’s first day of service with the four new stations and it looks very good!

Overall there were 6,326 boardings on the first day of expanded service.

To put that number into perspective during FY 2018 -- which ended June 30, 2018 -- SunRail's daily average was roughly 3,500

During the week of July 23, when expanded from 36 train trips to 40 train trips, SunRail had a few days when the boardings reached 3,800.

Based on what we saw at the Kissimmee SunRail station most of the riders were headed to work – not just joyriders checking out the new stations or folks just interested in a free ride.

In fact, many people boarding at the new stations were willing to pay for their rides even though SunRail was offering free boardings to the first 50 people at each of the new stations.

See you on The Rail!

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Take SunRail to Emeril's favorite Kissimmee restaurant

SunRail and celebrity chef are two things we never thought we would see in the same article, yet here we are.

With the southern expansion of SunRail into Osceola County riders now will be able to take our favorite train to celebrity Chef Emeril Lagasse’s favorite Kissimmee restaurant – Savion’s Place.

Yes, that Emeril!

The owner of Savion’s Place – Chef Pouchon Savion -- was featured on Emeril’s Florida, a nationally broadcast TV show.

For years many Orlando area residents tended to look down their nose at Kissimmee as a “Cow Town” for its long history and heritage as one of the top livestock producers in the United States.

SunRail is not only providing a new transportation link for Osceola County residents, but it is pulling back the curtain on Kissimmee.

While some of the cowboy culture lives on in Kissimmee and elsewhere in Osceola, that community has become very diverse during the past three decades.

Savion’s Place is just one of many surprises awaiting those who take a day trip to check out Kissimmee.

The main drag in downtown Kissimmee is Broadway. That street and is maybe a half block from the Kissimmee SunRail station.

Along Broadway, and its side streets, there are all kinds of surprises awaiting visitors – from food to shopping. The food variety stretches from barbecue to Mediterranean – with a lot in between.

In addition, barely 5 minutes from the SunRail station is the spectacular Lake Tohopekaliga (Toho to locals) waterfront. Bring a picnic basket and blanket.

On Facebook you should like Kissimmee Main Street to keep up to speed on some of the great activities being held in the historic downtown corridor.

Before you can say it, we agree with you it would be great if SunRail ran on the weekends. It doesn’t. We still need your support to make 7-day service a reality.

Meanwhile, nothing should stop riders from making the best of what we have right now.

We think it’s noteworthy that the last northbound SunRail train departs the downtown Kissimmee station at 10 p.m., so it’s possible to catch a southbound SunRail train after work in downtown Orlando. Ride down to Kissimmee; have a nice dinner; do a little shopping and ride back in comfort to Orlando, Winter Park and points north.

Meanwhile, see what Emeril had to say about Savion’s Place by clicking here.

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SunRail is ready to start a new chapter

POINCIANA -- Sunday morning at 9, the SunRail trains are locked, loaded and ready to roll – on Monday morning.

The newest chapter in SunRail history starts – sort of – on Monday, July 23.

That’s when SunRail begins to run its new schedule – including scheduled stops at the new southern expansion SunRail stations.

While the trains will follow the schedule – they will not pick up or let off passengers at the four new stations – Meadow Woods, Tupperware, downtown Kissimmee, and Poinciana.

In other words, all southbound SunRail riders will be required to get off at Sand Lake Road (Yes, Joanne, that means you, too).

Once leaving Sand Lake Road, the SunRail train will continue its southbound run with brief stops at the new stations. No one will be allowed to board at those stations.

Think of this week (July 23 to July 27) as a dress rehearsal for the passenger service that will officially begin on Monday, July 30. When that service begins there will be a limited number of free rides offered to people who board at the new station. For details on those free rides, please click here.

To accommodate the new schedule, and for other logistical reasons, SunRail has established a small maintenance base in Poinciana where 2 SunRail trains will be stored – which is why they were there on Sunday morning. The rest of the SunRail trains are stored based in Sanford.

While we continue to lament that SunRail does not offer weekend or late-night service, the new schedule does offer a few improvements and changes.

To see the new schedule, click here.

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Wanna free ride from SunRail's newest stations?

SunRail will be offering some free rides on the commuter train system to celebrate the launch of service on the railroad’s new southern leg at the end of this month.

The operative word is SOME.

Opening day crowds in 2014

When SunRail launched service on its first leg in 2014 the railroad offered free rides to all comers for the first couple of weeks.

Nice idea, but the situation nearly spun out of control. Trains were packed with joyriders who treated SunRail as though it was a new attraction at Universal or Disney.

It was difficult to keep the trains on schedule. You couldn’t find a seat unless you boarded at the beginning or the end of the line -- in DeBary or Sand Lake Road. SunRail had to add trains to ease the strain on the system.

Clearly, SunRail management wants to avoid repeating those headaches with the plan they have introduced to offer some free rides to people boarding at the new stations – Meadow Woods, Tupperware/Osceola Parkway, downtown Kissimmee, and Poinciana.

According to a press release from the Florida Department of Transportation that runs SunRail: “SunRail is offering a “First 50 Free” promotion to riders whose trip originates at any of the four new southern stations starting Monday, July 30, and running through Friday, August 17.

“The promotion is easy. Simply check-in at the designated ‘First 50 Free’ promotional gate at either the Poinciana, Kissimmee, Tupperware or Meadow Woods stations, and if you’re one of the first 50 riders for each train, your roundtrip is free. Tickets may still be purchased for any train, but if you want to secure your free SunRail roundtrip offer, make sure you arrive early.”

No doubt some will complain that FDOT is being stingy because it isn’t offering free rides to everyone who boards at the new stations.

Realistically, though, it would be irresponsible to offer unlimited free rides from the new stations. Folks riding the train for free could make it impossible for fare-paying riders at existing stations to board the train.

Given that the “First 50 Free” promotion will be held for three weeks there’s a reasonable opportunity for thousands to get a chance to ride for free.

Service on the new southern leg begins July 30. The southern extension required SunRail to introduce a new schedule that you can review by clicking here.

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Osceola residents may get to ride SunRail for free

New SunRail riders in Osceola and some from Orange County may get to ride for free when the train service is expanded southbound in late July.

Osceola Commission Viviana Janer, who also serves as chair of the SunRail Commission, raised that topic Thursday (May 31) during the train commission meeting.

The idea had been discussed briefly in other SunRail meetings. Ms. Janer pressed SunRail CEO Nicola Liquori for a decision on whether residents who live near the new SunRail stations will get an opportunity to ride the train for free. Back in 2014, when SunRail launched the train system, people rode for free for several days.

1st-day riders in 2014

Ms. Liquori responded that by the second week of June she will decide whether to allow free rides for passengers boarding at the new stations.

There’s a lot to weigh in making that decision. People who live on SunRail’s new southern leg understandably want to get the same treatment extended to those who live on SunRail’s first leg. The tricky part is how to do that without giving all SunRail customers a free ride.

Back in 2014 when the train launched so many people decided to check out SunRail that the system was overwhelmed with up to 10,000 people daily joyriding as though they were checking out a new attraction at Universal or Disney. Trains were so packed the schedule went out the window.

As a reminder, the SunRail service is being extended to stations in Meadow Woods in south Orange County, and Tupperware/Osceola Parkway, downtown Kissimmee, and Poinciana in Osceola County.

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New SunRail schedule includes good news for Magic fans

Good news Orlando Magic fans!

It looks like during the next season many of you will be able to take SunRail to weeknight games in downtown Orlando and back home after the games. Fans can thank SunRail’s southern expansion to Poinciana.

As Magic fans know, the present SunRail schedule only works one way – to the game -- because the last northbound train leaves downtown’s Church Street station at 9:25 p.m. (The way the Magic plays, leaving the game early may not be a bad thing.)

SunRail’s tentative new schedule proposes that the last northbound train will leave Church Street after 10 p.m.

SunRail managers have been reworking the schedule to include service to the new Meadow Woods, Osceola Parkway/Tupperware, Kissimmee and Poinciana stations. Two more train roundtrips are being added to serve the longer train route.

One of SunRail’s major priorities has been to better accommodate the real-world schedules of the staff and caregivers at Florida Hospital and Orlando Health hospitals. Even though those hospitals are two of the region’s largest employers – ridership at those stations has been disappointingly low because of shortcomings in the current schedule. Last year SunRail CEO Nicola Liquori pledged to use the opportunity of service expansion to improve the schedule and ridership.

The tentative schedule was discussed briefly at this week’s SunRail Customer Advisory Committee meeting. While Ms. Liquori and her team won’t be able to change water to wine, one of the positive developments appears to be a later departure time for the last northbound SunRail train. They plan to present the new schedule very soon.

This later service will not only benefit Magic fans but also date night for some couples. Magic fans headed southbound after the game still will be out of luck, though.

And no, there is no new weekend service. Remember, Ms. Liquori is limited by the budget she has been provided for Monday to Friday service. Any weekend service needs to be sponsored – either businesses or local government.

During a recent interview, Osceola Commissioner Viviana Janer, who also chairs the SunRail Commission, explained what it will take to get weekend service. Click here for that explanation.

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Guess who's coming to SunRail

We have it on good authority that in late July when SunRail officially launches service on its southern leg to Poinciana an unlikely guest of honor will be on hand to officiate.

Drumroll, please: Florida Gov. Rick Scott!

SunRail launch in 2014

Given that the Florida Department of Transportation is providing a lion share of the funds to operate SunRail, the governor’s presence seems appropriate. But Scott doesn’t exactly have a reputation for supporting passenger-rail alternatives to traffic-clogged highways.

Many remember that in 2011, one of Scott’s first actions as governor was to kill a planned high-speed rail system linking Tampa and Orlando. He turned down $2.4 billion from the federal government for the project. That money went to other states.

Thankfully, though, at the last minute – after much handwringing and begging by Central Florida leaders – Scott approved SunRail and its bare-bones budget that doesn’t include enough money for weekend and late-night service.

Those who attended the SunRail ribbon-cutting in April 2014 might recall that Scott did not attend that event.

Wonder if the fact that Scott is on the verge of announcing his candidacy to unseat U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson at the polls in November has anything to do with his desire to put in some face time at the upcoming SunRail event?

Who knows, maybe we’ll even see Scott on The Rail.

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