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SunRail Receives $93 Million from Federal Officials to Expand Southward

Sunrail will expand to southern Orange County and Osceola County. Here is a rendering of the Kissimmee station. Photo: Sunrail.
Sunrail will expand to southern Orange County and Osceola County. Here is a rendering of the Kissimmee station. Photo: Sunrail.

Federal transportation officials will sign off today on a $93 million grant to help central Florida’s commuter train, SunRail, expand south.

The plan is to add four stops between southern Orange County and Poinciana in Osceola County, at Meadow Woods, Osceola Parkway, downtown Kissimmee, and Poinciana Boulevard.

The new stations and platforms will cost $186.9 million, half of which will come from the Federal Transit Administration.

“Out of that $93 million, the initial payment to us will probably be in the $63 million range and so that’s a pretty good chunk of money to get things going on Phase 2 South," said Florida Department of Transportation spokesman Steve Olson.

"That’s a pretty big deal.”

The state and Orange and Osceola counties will pay for the rest of expansion.

FDOT officials hope to grow ridership and increase connectivity by asking Orlando businesses to offer their employees incentives to use Sunrail.

Construction is expected to get underway later this year.