Since SunRail started two years ago, many people have continually asked for service on weekends.

  • SunRail working on plans to extend service to weekends, some nights
  • FDOT officials say that service will be paid fares, not free
  • To fund SunRail for big events, sponsors will be needed, FDOT says

Transportation officials are now working on a plan to make it happen, as well as extend service to some weeknights.

Little Denver Seliga loves trains, so for him, riding SunRail is less of a commute than it is an experience.

“Look at that — that’s a skyscraper — it’s big,” Denver said as he and his mom rode SunRail from Winter Park to Church Street in downtown Orlando on Friday afternoon.

But on weekdays, Denver and his mom, Xio, have to leave Dad behind.

“Right now, my husband works Monday through Friday, so it’s not convenient to do a family outing,” Xio Seliga said. “But I know it’s convenient for people who work and commute.”

But soon, people could start getting more chances to ride SunRail on weekends. Florida Department of Transportation officials want to extend service to Saturdays and Sundays — and later, on some weeknights to accommodate big community events.

SunRail has offered weekend service before, such as for Orlando City’s first soccer game and the Winter Park Art Festival. Those rides were free. But FDOT says the event-based SunRail rides on late nights and weekends would require paid fares, just like during regular weekday service.

The extended late-night and weekend rides would not happen every single week, only for specific events. And FDOT says sponsors would have to pay the cost; funding can’t come from the state.

Seliga says it’s a move in the right direction.

“To have it open on the weekend, we could do like a family outing. And that would be exciting for us,” Seliga said.

FDOT says it’s now coming up with a list of potential events that this extended late night and weekend service could be used for. Officials plan to have that later this summer, then they’ll need sponsors to come up with funding to make it happen.

They hope the extended SunRail service will introduce more people to the light rail service and encourage more people to also use it during the week.