Sunrail Commuter Rail System

[ukiyo]

When is the sunrail expected to be completed? It is approved and has funding now right? When will groundbreaking start?

[Dale]

Originally Posted by NihonKitty

When is the sunrail expected to be completed? It is approved and has funding now right? When will groundbreaking start?

Groundbreaking as early as Spring and running as early as late 2012.

Highspeed rail running as early as 2015.

[jzquince69]

Since HSR is a going to happen istead of a pipedream now, they really need to rething the Sand Lake Road station and make a much larger intermodal station, or, rethink using the spur in Taft to allow Sunrail to have a direct OIA connection into the proposed intermodal stations they have on the books.

If HSR is diesel locomotive, then Sunrail can use the same track as well to be able to dock at the airport station. That would be impressive to say the least.

I think GOAA needs to reevaluate all of the design plans for station location and size and make sure what they've agreed on to this point is the best feasible design and orientation of the proposed link(s) to OIA for Sunrail, HSR, and the proposed future LRT link between Sunrail and OIA which I think would also link with SLR (which would be redundant to the HSR corridor). I think they'll scap that idea now.

[Lakelander]

Perhaps they should relocate the HSR station to where the line will cross Sunrail's tracks. Then the airport connection could be made by extending a peoplemover between the terminal and the intermodal rail station (ex. Miami's MIC).

[TampaMike]

Does anyone know the exact location of the HSR Airport station?

[jzquince69]

yeah. look at that .pdf posted 4 pages back on the HSR thread; perhaps 2 weeks ago. it was just a link to a huge .pdf of the entire HSR corridor study area for proposed stations.

it's supposed to be between Airsides 2 & 4, to the east of the terminal, and be in the general shape of, say, the Contemporary Hotel at WDW, and have buses, HSR, LRT, etc., hookups. It would link to the terminal building with- I'm not really sure how; gotta look at those old posted 3D renderings from 2 years ago showing the intermodal station(s) and the proposed South Terminal Complex.

Apparently, there's supposed to be a second intermodal station to service the proposed South Terminal Complex in the future; approximately 1-2 miles south of the existing terminal. That's what's depicted in that .pdf from 2 weeks ago in the HSR thread as well.

I think the direction they're going in is that they want each terminal to have independent access to the HSR, instead of having all traffic from two terminals dump into one station. That's why I don't think they would get an AGT to link the terminal with the SLR Sunrail station and make the main HSR station there instead.

Personally, I think that HSR should perhaps be one of the three levels at OIA (Arrivals, Departures, Car Rental). They should have made a fourth level for transit, i.e., a basement level. That's what they did at O'Hare in the Late '80's with the El Train. But, this is Florida and you can't do that effectively.

[SkyDiveJunkee]

SunRail to begin hiring this summer, begin construction as early as Fall/Winter: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/os-cf...,5123330.story

[TampaMike]

I can't see them finishing this thing up in two years. I would push opening more around Spring 2013.

[SkyDiveJunkee]

Phase I in 2 years, and Phase II a year after. Keep in mind that this is being constructed on existing lines.

[HeartofFlorida]

Why is this still going on?

Trouble for SunRail? Amtrak wants new deal on liability

The chief executive of Amtrak is again threatening to scuttle the SunRail commuter train planned for Central Florida before it picks up its first passenger.

In a letter mailed Monday to the Florida Department of Transportation, Joseph Boardman of Amtrak said he was terminating a previous agreement his agency had with the state to share tracks with SunRail.

[SkyDiveJunkee]

Originally Posted by HeartofFlorida

Why is this still going on?

Trouble for SunRail? Amtrak wants new deal on liability

Blame the hillbillies at Amtrak.

[HARTride 2012]

Amtrak needs to shut up and live with it...they are always at a loss anyway. why does liability matter so much to them?

[Nexis]

Originally Posted by HARTride 2012

Amtrak needs to shut up and live with it...they are always at a loss anyway. why does liability matter so much to them?

Now you know how we feel up here , NJT wants to run Express Service form the Trenton Transit Center to 30th Street in Philly , but since Amtrak owns the Tracks they've said no , they don't want a cheaper service stealing revenue form them. Also NJT and other agencies are fixing up the crumbling NEC , and not Amtrak. Amtrak also puts up a stink with alot of things but doesn't take care of the little Railway network they own.

~Corey

[jzquince69]

According to that article in the Sentinel on HSR, in the HSR section, they are now planning to run Sunrail directly to OIA. There's downtown's direct link to OIA.

This will really boost business in downtown; passengers get off at the OIA transit center; they can then take HSR to OCCC/I-Drive, Disney, Lakeland, or Tampa, or in the alternative, they can take Sunrail up through the heart of the Orlando metro ala DT Orlando.

And of course, a future HSR link to Miami.

Perfect.

They need to go lights out with that station. Much better than the bussing of patrons from the SLR station to OIA.

[HeartofFlorida]

Originally Posted by jzquince69

According to that article in the Sentinel on HSR, in the HSR section, they are now planning to run Sunrail directly to OIA. There's downtown's direct link to OIA.

This will really boost business in downtown; passengers get off at the OIA transit center; they can then take HSR to OCCC/I-Drive, Disney, Lakeland, or Tampa, or in the alternative, they can take Sunrail up through the heart of the Orlando metro ala DT Orlando.

And of course, a future HSR link to Miami.

Perfect.

They need to go lights out with that station. Much better than the bussing of patrons from the SLR station to OIA.

From this morning's meeting:

[ukiyo]

I'm still amazed at the lack of any east-west routes

[SkyDiveJunkee]

Originally Posted by NihonKitty

I'm still amazed at the lack of any east-west routes

The North/South SunRail line is the initial line for SunRail. This is more feasible to build as an initial track as it builds upon historic, pre-existing railroads (and stations). Historically, most residential has clustered around this line. Sprawl has clearly extended East/West. The future holds the possibility of extending SunRail along East/West routes, for now though, this needs to get up and running before anything else can happen.

There are already plans to extend SunRail along Taft to the Airport, and fork the North section of the line out into Lake County. It really is all about starting somewhere, and growing with the system as ridership increases.

[jzquince69]

Great post, Heartofflorida, great post.

Now we see the entire picture of the development; not just the interior shot of the intermodal center with hotel; now it makes sense that the hotel would be there b/c of the terminals there as well.

I love developments that make sense. The verdict is still out on the LRT easement. But, I need to see more details on that. I'm just tickled pink that Sunrail will link into there directly. I can totally take it from my office at the Plaza via Church St. Station if I ever have to. It's so surreal to contemplate.

[SkyDiveJunkee]

OK I can see the renderings now.

Wow! This is exactly what was needed -- this makes so much sense it's hard to believe this could become a reality. Amazing vision -- finally leaders in Orlando working together to catapult the city ahead. That entrance into the Airport hub over the bridge and lake is world class.

[HeartofFlorida]

Originally Posted by jzquince69

Great post, Heartofflorida, great post.

Now we see the entire picture of the development; not just the interior shot of the intermodal center with hotel; now it makes sense that the hotel would be there b/c of the terminals there as well.

I love developments that make sense. The verdict is still out on the LRT easement. But, I need to see more details on that. I'm just tickled pink that Sunrail will link into there directly. I can totally take it from my office at the Plaza via Church St. Station if I ever have to. It's so surreal to contemplate.

Thank you! The additional pics helped solidify it for me. Luckily I had a slow morning at work today. I happened to stumble on the meeting by accident when I was browsing through the Ledger and it mentioned the live webcast. The webcast had 2 windows (one showing the broadcast and the other with all the meeting slides) for a grand total of 51 I believe.