⁴ᴷ⁶⁰ Exploring the SunRail Commuter Rail system in Orlando, Florida 

I used to live in downtown Orlando, within walking distance to Lynx hub where the Sunrail would stop, for 2 years and not once did I have a use for this thing. The problem with it is that it really only seems to exist to get suburbanites from the north and south of Orlando's city center to said city center or the hospital stations, to theoretically relieve I4 traffic. However, for more or less everyone who would take it, they would have to drive to the station because, of course, there is little actual housing development along the rail line outside of downtown Orlando. It doesn't help that it doesn't run on the weekends, when I could actually use it to go, say, to the Science Museum or the little American art museum across from it with the sculpture garden on Lake Formosa, Winter Garden's downtown, or maybe to downtown Kissimmee, but beyond those little gardens of semi-walkability, its just impossible to get anywhere interesting without having a car waiting for you when you got off, and like I mentioned, only on the weekdays. I found it easier to bike to the first three locations (and don't get me started on Orlando's bike infrastructure, so much potential, wasted). The lack of access to the airport without a transfer also hampers this thing. Also somewhat funny is that the Autotrain stops pretty close to the Sanford Sunrail station (and if I recall there is a little bus that can take you to Sanford's downtown for whatever you'd want to do there from the Autotrain), but since the purpose of the Autotrain is to move you with your car, well, what's the point of suggesting you take the Sunrail? There's a lot of ways I would have loved to improve this thing (above grade crossings in downtown for one,), but it would have to go hand in hand with a major redistricting of Orlando's and nearby satellite cities ridiculous sprawl, a massive improvement in how bus routes and schedules are done (which is also atrocious, try getting a bus from downtown Orlando to I-Drive, its nuts how few travel between two ostensibly key economic corridors of the city) and some way of dealing with the Mouse and Universal. Really this thing exists for some politician (looking at you Dyer) to check off a mark on a list and say "we have a commuter rail system!"

It's purely a commuter rail which is a real shame. The low ridership is simply because not enough people have reason to use it. It doesn't run on the weekends, it doesn't run past midnight. I literally live right next to one of the stations, so close I could walk and yet I have not been able to use it once. I would love to be able to take it downtown on the weekend so that I don't have to drive and try to find parking, but it doesn't run on the weekends!

I never new of these trains. First time seeing them. HO, N, & O SCALERS These trains look great! 😃

I went on this train back in 2017 when me and my family visited Orlando for spring break.

My man got there Fast Lmao

Great video! I like SunRail! Thank you for sharing!

I like the system. That helps people that are going straight to Orlando but not Disney World

Excellant video. Another urban area to initiate commuter rail. Thanks for sharing.😀😀😀

A system with potential but the lack of will and funding to make it into something good. The lack of weekend service and service that runs longer into the night. A direct connection to the Orlando International would also be good. Improve integration between the bus system and Sunrail. I also think they should expand the system northwest towards Tavares or Eustis.

Nice footage! Interesting find of abandoned cars at 5:11.

Being around here for many years and having ridden this thing when it opened, I'll say this. Great rail system that is needed in this city, but it's handicapped by a few things. The lack of weekend and holiday service, it doesn't run frequent enough, and the bus system Lynx, is ran like a drunken sailor with no one in charge that knows what to do with the bus system. Because of Lynx's issues, there is not much in the way of integration of Sunrail with Lynx other then transfers between the two systems. I don't fault Lynx 100% as I also fault FDOT as well, because they do things backwards and it shows. Nobody knows how to do transit right in this city and across the state. It's going to be very interesting to see what happens when the system falls under the counties hands in a couple of years. I hope the counties figure it out by then, but seeing how I've lived in this state since 1995, I doubt it, but I'll also hope some common sense comes around.

I like this system. It is small and easy to understand

Cool video. This commuter railroad is decent

It's a good system. The only downside is that the horns are wack.

Doesnt run after dark, doesnt go to the airport, doesnt go to disney, doesnt go to Universal, doesnt run on weekends, and doesnt go east to ucf or west to Winter Garden.....

Awesome vid!

Took Sunrail from Lynx central all the way to Kissimee when I visited just last week for Megacon. For my first commuter rail it wasn't that bad honestly. I did have to take the Lynx route 56 to my motel though.

A station called Tupperware....LOL. I don't see this lasting too long. Everyone in Florida drives especially the Orlando area is more rural than other places like Miami

I see the Bilevels cars they use used to be on Go transit in Toronto hence the door chime.

they should have Sunrail that run from brightline station at airport to Walt Disneyworld and Universial since the sunrail trains are fast enough.

I can't help to notice that Sunrail's engines and passenger cars are almost the same setup to Los Angeles' Metrolink.

Nice.

Pretty cool! Being a south Floridian I go up there sometimes to railfan, but I’ve never actually rode it before. It looks relatively new, as it’s from 2015 (the railroad). And for some reason, this is ranked as the most useless railroad in the U.S.

I was going to hop on this when I'm in Orlando next week, but I am only free on Sunday - and SunRail doesn't run on weekends apparently! Rail travel in the US is generally really poor it would seem

The Door Chime sounds like the TTC

Did you suddenly teleport there? Been years since I last went to Orlando.

It's a nice system, unfortunately as you can see it has low ridership so I don't think it's going to be around too long, I give it 5 years top, unless things improve.

Wonder if there’s an updated list of restaurants, bars and breweries that are in walking distance from sun rail stations? I found a few, but they are several years old. I think some of the places are even out of business now.

How come Sunrail is only has 2 coaches?

Why don't you come to Toronto, Ontario to ride 12 car trains of these Bombardier BiLevel coaches. We never have just 2 coaches; 6 would be a short train. Aarre Peltomaa of Mississauga, Ontario

4:20 TTC Chimes

Guys forgive my ignorance but there's no third rail, does this train run on diesel?

Why is no sound?

It needs to be 30 minutes all day with fare integration remove any bus that competes with it timed buses at all stations to feed it this train needs to go to Tampa too

It's like a weaker version of the GO Train lol

I lived in Florida and this project took 20 years just to grease the involved in this project how many millionaires were created anyone know

Two empty cars. 🙄

Commuter rail the way we do it in America will never work. Imagine if we build roads like rail lines. Drag it out for decades, run up the price, throw as many obstacles in front of it, have very few roads, and only allow them to be used occasionally. We would have given up on roads ages ago. Build a road from Orlando to Melbourne and only have it open for use 90 minutes a day. And of course have no other roads connecting to it so you'd have no real practical way to get your car to it to drive anywhere. Yeah. No good. But that is how we do rail. SunRail doesn't work because it is about as ridiculous as that car example. For commuter rail to work, you need connectivity. You need many lines, heavy frequencies, and more modern equipment. Go with electrified rail. Get trains & stations built appropriately so you can walk off the platform and onto the train without having to go up a couple steps to get in the train. This is something Europe and Asia has been doing for decades and they've been very successful. Throw billions at these projects they way we throw endless billions at roads which need to be repaired and replaced frequently. If you want it to succeed, you have to quit Americanizing it. You cannot build success off of a bad model.