SunRail Extension Project Development and Environmental (PD&E) Study

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is conducting a Project Development and Environment (PD&E) Study for a potential expansion of the SunRail commuter rail service into Polk County. Currently, SunRail serves areas of DeLand, Winter Park, Orlando, Kissimmee and Poinciana, with the southernmost station in Poinciana. The proposed expansion would extend the service to Haines City, with additional stations in the Loughman and Davenport areas.

Polk County is one of the fastest growing counties in the country as population is forecasted to grow to nearly 1.2 million by 2050. More than half of this growth is expected to occur in the northeastern portion of the county. To support this growth, additional transportation options are needed to ensure continued mobility for Polk County residents, businesses, and visitors alike.

The PD&E Study will examine project options, benefits of the expansion, environmental considerations, preliminary conceptual costs, and potential strategies to fund it. The study will also look at the potential for economic development as a result of the expansion and how it would improve mobility. The study is in its beginning stages and will evolve over the next year and a half, resulting in a project recommendation and locally preferred alternative.

As the project progresses, more details will become available.