SunRail opens 17-mile extension

SunRail yesterday began passenger service along its 17-mile southern expansion into Orange and Osceola counties, Florida.

The extension, which includes four new stations, runs from the existing Sand Lake Road station in Pine Castle, Florida, to a new terminus in Poinciana, Florida. As part of the project, SunRail double-tracked most of its corridor and upgraded grade crossings.

Ahead of the project's opening, the commuter railroad last week boosted service on its original 32-mile system from 18 round trips a day to 20, SunRail officials said in a press release.

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) covered half the southern expansion's $187 million costs, with state and local governments equally sharing the remaining half, the Orlando Sentinel reported yesterday. The FTA announced the grant in September 2015.

SunRail previously carried about 3,400 riders each day. The extension is expected to add another 2,000 daily riders, SunRail Executive Director Nicola Liquori told the newspaper.

The railroad's initial route opened in May 2014.