ORLANDO, Fla. — In May 2024, SunRail celebrated its 10-year anniversary, with trains running 61 miles across 17 stations in Volusia, Seminole, Orange, and Osceola counties.

The original vision for the commuter-rail line has been fulfilled. Now leaders are working towards the next phase for SunRail, a plan known as the Sunshine Corridor. 


What You Need To Know

  • Central Florida leaders are working toward the next phase for SunRail, a plan known as the Sunshine Corridor

  • The Sunshine Corridor would be an east-west expansion of SunRail and would connect the Orlando International Airport to the Orange County Convention Center, International Drive and Disney Springs

  • In order to determine the cost of the project, the next step will be to fund an in-depth study of the proposed Sunshine Corridor known as a Project Development and Environmental study at a cost of $6 million

  • The next Central Florida Commuter Rail Commission meeting is set for Jan. 23 at 2 p.m.  

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer has been a proponent of the project. 

“It was never envisioned that the 61 miles that we've created would be the end of it," he said. "It's actually just the beginning of it. We want to create a spine where we could then access other points within the community. And the obvious most important one is to go from the original 61-mile route to the airport."

The Sunshine Corridor Program is a multi-phase, multimodal passenger rail program. The Sunshine Corridor proposes expanding premium passenger rail transportation to improve mobility, connectivity, and accessibility to major employment centers while stimulating economic development opportunities to support the rapidly growing Central Florida region.

The Sunshine Corridor would be an east-west expansion of SunRail and would connect the Orlando International Airport to the Orange County Convention Center, International Drive and Disney Springs.

In 2022, the Central Florida Commuter Rail Commission requested that the Florida Department of Transportation lead the efforts to advance the idea of a Sunshine Corridor. At that point the Sunshine Corridor Working Group was established to define, evaluate, and determine the best path forward in developing and implementing the proposed Sunshine Corridor Central Project.

In order to determine the cost of this project, the next step will be to fund an in-depth study of the proposed Sunshine Corridor known as a Project Development and Environmental study. The study is also required so the Sunshine Corridor Project can enter into the Federal Transit Administration capital investment grant programs to qualify for federal funding.

“I think everybody recognizes is that we eventually need to have SunRail going to the airport, and it really ought to be sooner than later," Dyer said. "There is money available through FTA and we need to get in that process. And in order to do that, we need to do the study that we're talking about."

The estimated cost for the study is $6 million — the Florida Department of Transportation has committed $2 million, but it will be up to the local partners to come up with the remaining $4 million.

“At this point, the city of Orlando has committed to half a million dollars ... hopefully the other partners that are part of the SunRail commission will also participate,” Dyer said.

In an email from the Orange County Government, a spokesperson said Mayor Jerry Demings and the Board of County Commissioners have expressed support for the Sunshine Corridor, and they will be bringing an agenda item up for consideration in the near future to determine Orange County’s portion of the local funding contribution.

Dyer said expanding SunRail to the airport will also address one of the biggest issues they face: parking. 

“So, having the opportunity to get on SunRail in downtown or in Winter Park and go directly to the multimodal station, which is over by Terminal C, and then walk right basically to your gate," he said. "What a convenience that would be."

According to FDOT, there’s no set deadline to complete the PD&E study — it’s just a matter of if or when it will be funded. 

The next Central Florida Commuter Rail Commission meeting is set for Jan. 23 at 2 p.m. The agenda for that meeting has not been published yet.