Well, SunRail is finally up and running (since work began in 2007!) and is giving away free rides for its first two weeks of operations.. With nothing better to do on my day off (that I was still going to be working on...) I went for a ride end-to-end with Jeff from Sand Lake to DeBary and back. The trip should have taken about two hours but ended up being nearly three. We got on at the southern most station, Sand Lake Road for the 1:45 train (that arrived late but was announced over the PA as being late) the arrival in DeBary should have been 2:48 but ended up being after 3. We stayed on the train that should have been the 3pm return run but didn't leave until 3:30 (or when the train after ours should have been departing DeBary) and we got back to Sand Lake around 5... Hiccups aside, the train is rather nice and the hopefulness of those riding make it seem like SunRail is here to stay (and expand)
There it is, Sand Lake Road Station, the current southern terminus for SunRail.
Four more stations to the south are planned for the second phase in 2016 (and one more for the north)
Rules, times, and routing infomation.
classy classy.
Oh, also...They have Sandhill Cranes as artwork in the parking lot! yeesss
(real ones were even seen from the train itself <3)
Woo
There was a CN Freight train parked on a sidetrack along the platform
(woo, Canada!)
And while waiting on our train an Amtrak train passed us
I believe its the Silver Meteor or Silver Star
(and its covered in dead bugs)
Uh.. and there it goes.
Woo, and here comes our train!
Honk Honk!
The trains consist of two or three Bombardier BiLevel (double stacked) cars depending on the demand.
When previews first started SunRail was only running with 2 cars and with over 10,000 people showing up daily quickly added the third car, the most it'll be able to run (sadly)
Wabtec built locomotive.
Because its still shinny and new.. everyone has been coming out to go for a ride.. Most people had a camera or video camera.... this guy felt the need to mount his GoPro onto his video camera... and his wife had the DSLR (at least I wasn't that bad.....)
Safety First!
With most riders just going for rides end-to-end they've had a lot of issues with lack of room and standing only, we were able to get a seat for our trip.
Although at stops in the middle, like here in Winter Park, most people weren't able to even get on.
Woo, Downtown Orlando!
If you couldnt tell... I was super excited to go for a ride.
Its almost like Orlando is becoming a real city :P
Not only does the train give people an option from taking their cars along I4, the media has been running lots of stories about local business' and developments springing up along the route. Here in Longwood a large apartment complex is being built right at the station.
Just past the Sanford station is the SunRail train yard. Seeing all the unused trains made some people on-board boo and such (I guess with the delays and lack of room people didn't like seeing unused cars) but once the newness is over... overcrowding shouldn't be an issue.
And.... were here, DeBary, the current northern terminus for SunRail, some 32 miles from Sand Lake station.
In two years DeLand station will be added and become the new end of the line.
Well... now we just gotta make it back to Sand Lake.
Bahaha... Our train missed its stop at the station, over shooting and needing to back up
<3 just like the Monorail
Woo, trains!
After getting off, I really wanted to go home and play Chris Sawyer's Locomotion for hours on end.. but I had picked up an OT Shift to go drive a Monorail around in circles all night.
Uh, ok, bye SunRail!
I'll likely not ride you again anytime soon.
Here's the problem
(outside of no late hours OR weekend operations...)
Growing up in Metro Boston and having heavy rail, light rail, subway, buses, boats, and an international airport (Oh, and also a secondary regional airport as well!) all interlinked within the MBTA... SunRail seems rather lackluster. (although it does lineup with the Central Station for the LYNX bus as well as an Amtrak stop) That's not to say in time and with expansions it won't be good, clearly its a step in the right direction but poor urban planing in Orlando (make that, all of Florida) urban sprawl runs rampant, building a commuter rail system seemed like a pain in the ass and that's the problem itself. For myself at least, none of the stations are close to my house and there's no convenient way of getting to one without driving... The Sand Lake station is pretty close to MCO/Orlando International and there is a free shuttle bus but it seems a shame they couldn't have gotten a station out to the airport itself. Even worse is the fact the Sanford station is some 11 miles from that airport and without any sort of link. That sort of easy connection would massively change my opinion on SunRail... Not having to drive all the way out to Sanford and pay to park at an airport that sometimes has flights Orlando itself doesn't offer.... I also kinda feel the Orlando area would have benefited more from a light-rail system in and around downtown rather than just three stations a few blocks from each other on a line that doesn't really get you anywhere else, for now. The Winter Park station is likely the only one I see myself using if I find myself on the train again anytime soon. Since it seems to be the only station located within in area with shops and dinning rather than the outskirts of towns or in the middle of industrial parks. Ramble ramble and such..... My rant aside it was pretty amazing seeing the turn out for people who wanted to go for a ride and seeing their reactions "oh, I didn't know it stopped here!" and "we could bring the kids down for lunch or something" and its pretty refreshing to see interest in public transportation. Something I didn't realize how much I took for granted until I moved here in 2009 and found myself stuck with an overly complicated Bus system I've still yet to try and not much else.
But yeah.. Yay SunRail and here's hoping for the best
(Now just build me that MAGLEV from the airport)
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