ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — It's finally clear how quickly the state will build SunRail and how many people will be hired to work on it. Trains won't be running on the first phase between DeBary and Sand Lake Road for another two years, at least. But building SunRail should generate more than 13,000 jobs.
Monday, state officials told local leaders they're already fixing a potentially big problem: linking SunRail to the bullet train.
The first leg Central Florida's commuter rail system may not arrive exactly on time.
RAIL: Visit Our Special Section
"32 miles, 12 stations, and we'll look to have that up, and running early 2013," said Noranne Downs, Florida Dept. of Transportation (FDOT).
But people like Janet LeClair of Longwood said they're ready to ride.
"If it came straight down, I'd be on it every day," she said.
Planners with FDOT spelled out the plans for SunRail Monday, with trains every 30 minutes in the mornings and afternoons and amenities like electrical outlets and wi-fi. A basic ticket will cost $2.50 with an extra dollar to travel between counties.
There are also big plans for the stations where the trains will stop. At Church Street, there will be covered walkways and the state says it's even in talks to connect a hotel to it.
That could be a tough sell now and FDOT's promise that SunRail will create nearly 260,000 jobs over 20 or 30 years had commissioners asking for assurance that the predictions are realistic.
"I don't want people to believe that we're double counting numbers, that we really do believe this development over 20 years really could have a significant impact," commissioner Robert Stuart said.
The state is less certain about how it will connect commuter trains to the planned high speed rail line between OIA and Tampa, but says a link is in the plans.
Of course, the promise of all of the jobs hinges on retail and other business springing up around the train stations. Construction is now set to begin early next year.