May 2025 | Mike Brassfield
What if you could take a train to Orlando’s theme parks? To its airport? To its convention center? That’s the idea behind a proposed extension of the SunRail commuter line that some local officials are championing.
To move the plan forward, Universal and local governments have started chipping in seed money. Universal is contributing $2 million and the city of Orlando as well as Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties are each kicking in $500,000 for an in-depth study of a proposed SunRail expansion called the Sunshine Corridor. Such a study would be required for the region to seek any federal funding for the project.
The plan is to extend the current north-south rail route to the east and west. It would head east to reach Orlando International Airport and to the west to link up with Universal Studios, the Orange County Convention Center and Disney Springs. It would also connect SunRail to the Brightline high-speed passenger train to South Florida.
“Residents from throughout our community could utilize rail to get to and from their jobs at locations like the airport, convention center, hotels and attractions,” says Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, a proponent of the plan. “At the same time, it will help get visitors to many of the popular destinations that bring people from around the country and the globe to our region.”
There’s still a long, long way to go, though. Early estimates peg the project’s ultimate price tag at $4.4 billion.
SunRail, which is more than a decade old now, runs commuter trains on more than 60 miles of track to 17 stations in Orange, Osceola, Volusia and Seminole counties. The Sunshine Corridor expansion is seen as key to its long-term success.
“The Sunshine Corridor would be a game changer for Central Florida and support SunRail in adding evening and weekend service that many have hoped for.” — Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer
Universal and local governments all agreed to help fund a two-year study called a Project Development and Environmental (PD&E) study of the Sunshine Corridor. The $6-million study would look at projected costs, ridership, environmental impacts, and station and track locations. A completed PD&E study is necessary to seek funding from the Federal Transit Administration.
The Florida Department of Transportation says it’ll pay for $2 million of the PD&E study’s cost if local governments and the private sector pony up for the other $4 million.