Central Florida commuters have a reason to look forward to their evening travel with SunRail's recent announcement of expanded service offerings. Beginning today, two new train schedules will be implemented to better serve the demands of riders during evening hours, allowing for more convenient commute options, WFTV reported. Those traveling southbound can catch a later train, while northbound passengers will have access to a new mid-evening departure, with only minor adjustments to current times, generally not exceeding a two-minute shift.
The impact of these changes has been warmly received by commuters, as one SunRail rider, Jermaine Alston, praised the service for its expediency and for providing an alternative to navigating through traffic, according to a ClickOrlando interview. Alston expressed relief at not having to rush after work and the ability to enjoy evenings more freely now, "Oh, I love it. That’s going to help me out a lot because I get off kind of late, so now I can — instead of rushing over here to get on the train — I could stay out a little, hang out a little later," he remarked.
Despite the recent improvements, riders point out that the evolution of the rail system has not met all expectations particularly the absence of weekend services is a point of contention among regular users, Terry Harris, another SunRail patron, shared his view with ClickOrlando, noting that weekend service should have been implemented long ago to cater to various events and flurry that graces the weekends.
Looking ahead, SunRail has cast its gaze on the “Sunshine Corridor,” a proposed link that would connect to several key locations including Orlando International Airport, International Drive, and Disney Springs, with studies backed by local municipalities and Universal Studios underway, and Harris voiced a common sentiment to ClickOrlando, hoping for swift realization of these plans, "So, I think they need more routes to be more consistent through the day. I think it would increase ridership, but I also think that they maybe get the thing finished to the airport. It’ll create more ridership throughout the Orlando area,” he said.
For those interested in reviewing the changes, the full updated schedules that incorporate the added trains and minor adjustments are accessible on the official SunRail website.
