ORLANDO, Fla. – SunRail officials say that Thursday's launch saw more than 10,000 people ride the trains and with the big crowds came big delays.
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Some riders saw delays of more than two hours. On Friday, SunRail added an extra unscheduled train during off hours to handle the heavy crowds.
The Central Florida debut of commuter rail is a $1 billion project that was two years in the making.
SunRail was in the works for more than two decades and is the first fixed-rail mass transit system in Central Florida history. More than $1 billion in taxpayer money was used to purchase 61 miles of rail line and all of the other necessities.
SunRail makes 12 stops during its 31.5-mile route, starting in DeBary and ending at the Sand Lake Road location in Orlando. In between, stops are in Sanford, Lake Mary, Longwood, Altamonte Springs, Maitland, Winter Park and Orlando, which has four stations.
Initially, the train will operate only on weekdays, coming by every half-hour from 5:30 to 9 a.m., depending on location, and from 3:30 to 7 p.m. It will also run every two hours during the late morning and afternoon, and from 7 to 9 p.m.
For anyone taking the SunRail between May 1 to May 16, the ride is free. After that, a one-way ticket will be $2, with an additional $1 for each county. For example, from the Sand Lake Road location to the Longwood location would be $3.