SunRail shines: avg. 4,572 boardings, station locations & TOD, and

[beautifulplanet]

As the "Free rides start soon" thread is not fitting anymore now, trying to start a new general thread about different SunRail topics, now that paid service began, and the system successfully started so far, and from now on begins to improve and grow.


Here is a link to an interesting article in the Daytona Beach News-Journal, not only about the average ridership in the first week of paid service, but about lots of details of the current service as well:

SunRail rides high first week of paid service with 4,572 boardings per day
By Mark Harper
Published: Sunday, May 25, 2014 at 5:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Saturday, May 24, 2014 at 5:02 p.m.
http://www.news-journalonline.com/article/20140525/NEWS/140529679/0/search




And many might think this is great - Orlando Sentinel columnist Scott Maxwell makes a really good case for SunRail being a good investment, and so far living up to what was promised:

SunRail costs plenty — but roads cost even more
May 24, 2014
by Scott Maxwell
http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2014-05-24/news/os-sunrail-road-costs-scott-maxwell-20140524_1_rail-line-rail-boosters-sunrail-costs

 

[Bob Dylan]

Thanks for posting this! Sounds like Orlando even has some good media members and that the Sun Rail folks know what they are doing! I wish Austin and Cap Metro would hire some of these folks to work on our Mass (known here as Mess) Transit Operations and plans!

I look forward to using this system next time I'm in Florida, it sounds like its going to be like the DART/TRE system in the DFW Area which is expanding and growing much to the surprise of the NIMBYs and Antis that opposed it and predicted failure!

Keep us posted!

 

[Scott Orlando]

Sunrail recently took delivery of its eighth locomotive, number 107. It is being broken in running dual loco trainsets. Pictures coming....

 

[Amtrak172]

Will SunRail be getting more coaches? Pretty much every SunRail train I see consists of only cabcars and sometimes on a tree car train, one coach and two cabcars

Amtrak172

 

[MikefromCrete]

Pretty good for a start up service. They've already way ahead of systems like the Nashville Star that only has about 1,000 daily riders.

 

[pennyk]

This afternoon, I got off Amtrak 98 in ORL and walked a "few" feet to the SunRail station. I then boarded SunRail and took it 2 stops to LCS, which is walking distance from home. BTW, I was amazed that the number of people boarding at Church Street station at 2 in the afternoon. Many looked like tourists.

 

[George Harris]

Pretty good for a start up service. They've already way ahead of systems like the Nashville Star that only has about 1,000 daily riders.

There are several misfortunate things with the Nashville Star:

1. It is the route with the least or at best second from least in ridership potential. It was chosen for ease of start-up and least cosst start up. For this they did an excellent job. Contrast it with the Rail Runner in New Mexico which seemed to was to go most expensive on almost everything they did.

2. Nashville has no passenger trains otherwise.

3. The downtown stop is well off to one side of the major employment centers.

The two routes with the highest ridership potential, to Gallatin on the northeast and to Myrfreesboro to the southeast would also be the most expensive to implement, as in they would require a full double tracking before CSX would even consider the service, and for that matter before it would be even possible for the service to be reliable. To the south to Columbia would also have good potential but a third track from Radnor to Brentwood would certainly be needed, as well as signals from there the rest of the way to Columbia.

 

[Bob Dylan]

This afternoon, I got off Amtrak 98 in ORL and walked a "few" feet to the SunRail station. I then boarded SunRail and took it 2 stops to LCS, which is walking distance from home. BTW, I was amazed that the number of people boarding at Church Street station at 2 in the afternoon. Many looked like tourists.

Sounds like Sunrail is off to a good start! Does this mean Penny's Limo Service will no longer pick up @ the Amtrak Station? LOL

 

[Anderson]

There's at least some tourist potential to be had. In my case, there's a wakeboarding cable park (which is open every day) I had a blast at the other day...which happens to be a (longish) walk from the Sand Lake station. Right now, I can probably grab a relatively cheap hotel on the north side of Orlando and visit it; once SunRail is extended, I can actually stay in Daytona and only have to drive to DeLand. It isn't a bad way to self-occupy when I'm down here visiting friends who have 9-5 jobs. But I'm also inclined to "make the train work" regardless of whether it is perfectly convenient or not.

I will say that SunRail may well be getting some business from tourists who have never seen a passenger train before. Considering what some scenic railroads can cost (Grand Canyon Railroad anyone?), spending less than $20 for the whole family to take a train ride might actually get some takers...particularly after the full-court press that was being done to promote it recently. Some of that will die down as the promotional pushes die down, but...well, if the kids have always wanted to take a train and you're on vacation down in Orlando, why not?

SunRail's tourist potential is sort-of limited because of bad luck on geography. The A-line doesn't go anywhere near any of the tourist areas...something that isn't anyone's fault: Disney in particular went in where the land was cheap, and that implied no pre-existing development (which in turn generally meant no railroad tracks, at least on the commercial/industrial side).

 

[Green Maned Lion]

Besides railfans, nobody rides commuter rail for fun.

 

[pennyk]

Besides railfans, nobody rides commuter rail for fun.

I believe that tourists and locals have been riding the train to go "out to lunch" either to Winter Park or Church Street Station downtown. It was reported that Fridays have been the busiest days so far. The FDOT attributes that to people taking 3 day weekends and going out for pleasure rides.

 

[Caesar La Rock]

Looks like more service could be on the way for us. Also, SunRail will be getting cars from Tri-Rail. They will be available for us in December and they're the DMUs.

http://www.wftv.com/news/news/local/congressman-mica-pushes-add-commuter-service-orlan/ngTfg/

http://www.wesh.com/news/local-leaders-discuss-possible-sunrail-expansion/26696520#!4ZvMu

 

[Anderson]

Also...how many little kids would know a tourist train from a commuter train? Come to think of it, how many adults would know the difference? So if Johnny wants to ride a choo-choo and there's somewhere Mom and Dad can go grab lunch or dinner on the line (and it saves them from having to spend another day and another $300 at a theme park), I think you've got more than a few parents that would do that.

==============================

As to possible service expansion...wait, did I see MICA arguing to expand service? Must be the lack of hamburgers.

 

[MattW]

Not just Sunrail expansion, in talking about Apopka, he's talking about an entirely new line which at one time was called the Orange Blossom Express I think. But I'm surprised they're getting Tri-Rail's DMUs since virtually every account I've read about them is that they are junk. The only thing I could see is operating them dead as extra coaching stock.

 

[Caesar La Rock]

Not just Sunrail expansion, in talking about Apopka, he's talking about an entirely new line which at one time was called the Orange Blossom Express I think. But I'm surprised they're getting Tri-Rail's DMUs since virtually every account I've read about them is that they are junk. The only thing I could see is operating them dead as extra coaching stock.

Is there specific issues with those DMUs? Maybe Detroit Diesel Allison could help SunRail out with any engine issues those DMUs have. DDA is located in Orlando after all. Those DMUs use Detroit Diesel Series 60 engines with Voith transmissions.

 

[MikefromCrete]

Also...how many little kids would know a tourist train from a commuter train? Come to think of it, how many adults would know the difference? So if Johnny wants to ride a choo-choo and there's somewhere Mom and Dad can go grab lunch or dinner on the line (and it saves them from having to spend another day and another $300 at a theme park), I think you've got more than a few parents that would do that.

==============================

As to possible service expansion...wait, did I see MICA arguing to expand service? Must be the lack of hamburgers.

Mica is a big supporter of SunRail. Remember, all politics is local.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

Not just Sunrail expansion, in talking about Apopka, he's talking about an entirely new line which at one time was called the Orange Blossom Express I think. But I'm surprised they're getting Tri-Rail's DMUs since virtually every account I've read about them is that they are junk. The only thing I could see is operating them dead as extra coaching stock.

Is there specific issues with those DMUs? Maybe Detroit Diesel Allison could help SunRail out with any engine issues those DMUs have. DDA is located in Orlando after all. Those DMUs use Detroit Diesel Series 60 engines with Voith transmissions.

You might fix the engine. But you can't fix the overweight carbon steel body, the first built in this country in 40 years, and I hope the last.

 

[Anderson]

Even with the mentioned issues, the DMUs strike me as acceptable as a quickie capacity fix. If you can get service on a line going (or substantially increase capacity) in under a year, go with whatever you can. Honestly, it sounds like the equipment would be acceptable to use sporadically for getting lines into operation, to be followed up with "proper" purchases.

 

[Caesar La Rock]

Not just Sunrail expansion, in talking about Apopka, he's talking about an entirely new line which at one time was called the Orange Blossom Express I think. But I'm surprised they're getting Tri-Rail's DMUs since virtually every account I've read about them is that they are junk. The only thing I could see is operating them dead as extra coaching stock.

Is there specific issues with those DMUs? Maybe Detroit Diesel Allison could help SunRail out with any engine issues those DMUs have. DDA is located in Orlando after all. Those DMUs use Detroit Diesel Series 60 engines with Voith transmissions.

You might fix the engine. But you can't fix the overweight carbon steel body, the first built in this country in 40 years, and I hope the last.

I wouldn't call it the last builder of DMUs in this country.

http://www.nipponsharyousa.com/nisshadmucatalog.pdf

You're right about the weight of those DMUs. At the opening of the Winter Park station, I asked the driver of the train and he told me (and a few others) that the DMUs are slow to accelerate. The highest speed they got the set up to was under 70mph.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

I didn't say they were the last DMU- I hope they aren't. I said they were the first American manufacturer of Carbon Steel cars since Pullman built its last in the late sixties- as opposed to aluminum or stainless steel. Carbon steel is so inferior to stainless and aluminum it's not funny- a lot heavier and much less durable with much higher maintenance costs. Only Ed Rader would do something THAT dumb.

 

[chrsjrcj]

I rode the DMU set a few years ago (when it was still being used by Tri-Rail). I don't remember the on-time performance (IIRC, we pretty much maintained the schedule), but I do know that the seats are significantly more comfortable than the Bombardier and Hyundai-Rotem bi-levels that Tri-Rail uses now.

 

[chrsjrcj]

Looks like more service could be on the way for us. Also, SunRail will be getting cars from Tri-Rail. They will be available for us in December and they're the DMUs.

http://www.wftv.com/news/news/local/congressman-mica-pushes-add-commuter-service-orlan/ngTfg/

http://www.wesh.com/news/local-leaders-discuss-possible-sunrail-expansion/26696520#!4ZvMu

As of last Sunday, there was a DMU set in SunRail's Sanford yard. That one has been there since February 8th. I believe Tri-Rail has another set (which they haven't been using), so I guess that one is heading north too. Maybe I'll take a joyride on Tri-Rail to Hialeah this week to see what's sitting in the yard.

 

[Shawn Ryu]

Any chance light rail will be built in the future in Orlando?

 

[Anderson]

It depends on what you mean by light rail. The chances of that bloody maglev getting built seem to be slowly increasing, though it still has a long way to go before it actually happens. There are one or two other proposals on the ground now, too, though most of the focus at the moment is on commuter rail options.

Edit: I seem to recall at least one commuter rail proposal in the Orlando area other than the Orange Blossom Express and Sunrail itself, but I can't recall where it went. I don't think it was the airport extension.

Also, there was the North-South Light Rail plan...but that seems to be on the side now.

 

[Caesar La Rock]

Looks like more service could be on the way for us. Also, SunRail will be getting cars from Tri-Rail. They will be available for us in December and they're the DMUs.

http://www.wftv.com/news/news/local/congressman-mica-pushes-add-commuter-service-orlan/ngTfg/

http://www.wesh.com/news/local-leaders-discuss-possible-sunrail-expansion/26696520#!4ZvMu

As of last Sunday, there was a DMU set in SunRail's Sanford yard. That one has been there since February 8th. I believe Tri-Rail has another set (which they haven't been using), so I guess that one is heading north too. Maybe I'll take a joyride on Tri-Rail to Hialeah this week to see what's sitting in the yard.

Yeah, I've personally seen that said DMU set on the first run of SunRail. It was parked at the SunRail's maintenance. So it's going to be repainted? Now that's something new I haven't heard yet.