ORLANDO, Fla. — More than 8,000 people have hopped on the late-night SunRail trains since the alternative routes started in December.

Schedules vary by stops, and leaders say every bit of data they collect helps them decide on SunRail service expansions.

What You Need To Know

Late-night trains on Monday through Friday started on Dec. 1, 2025 

The first four months of data show that people are hopping on the train late at night at stops in Orange, Osceola, Seminole and Volusia counties 

Central Florida Commuter Rail System board member Amy Lockhart said the numbers are positive, but there is work to do to let people know the trains are running later

The late-night trains are step one to help SunRail eventually get to weekend service 

They say people are using SunRail for Orlando Magic games more than anything else. Ridership for the last train service is 114% higher on game nights. After 10 p.m. and 11 p.m., people are getting on the train from stops all over Central Florida, not just downtown Orlando.

While the sun is still up, the SunRail riders hop off the train. “To the Magic game,” said Owen Bass, a SunRail rider.

Church Street is a common stop for Magic fans, but after the sun sets, there is no rush to get back to the station.

“I am not trying to run out of the game. If they have the nice late train, it is much easier to do that. We can go and walk around a bit after the game,” Bass said. “There is still plenty of time to do stuff. It is great.”

The late-night train is a benefit to fans and workers, riders said.

“I take it pretty often. I do a lot of things downtown Orlando, so it is easier for me to ride in that sense, but I also work for the Magic, so it is nice for us to (take) on game night,” said Dee Ward, a SunRail rider.

The numbers show the need. Since the late-night trains started on Dec. 1, the biggest month was March, with more than 2,500 people who boarded the north and southbound trains. 

“Data is incredibly important. The ability to make good decisions is founded on having good data,” said Amy Lockhart, a Central Florida Commuter Rail System board member.

The most popular stop for all four months was Church Street, followed by LYNX and Winter Park. 

“I think it is going to help us see where the need is, where we can grow, where there are additional opportunities,” Lockhart said.

But it’s not just downtown. In December, top spots to board were also in Kissimmee, DeLand and Sanford. In January, several Seminole County stops rounded out the top boarding stops. In February, the AdventHealth stop was also popular. In March, the Orlando Health, DeLand and Sand Lake stops rounded out the top boarding locations.

“It is not just for fun. We have a lot of fun things to do in Central Florida, but in order to have those fun things, we have to have the workers who are willing and able to get to those jobs, and these late-night trains help them to do (that),” Lockhart said.

Lockhart said she is pleased with the numbers so far, but there is work to do to let people know the late-night trains are running. “So I was so tired of driving and my son said, mom you can just jump on the SunRail, and I was like ‘You are right,’ so we took it,” said Primrose Cameron.

The late-night trains are step one to help SunRail eventually get to weekend service. But before any of that can happen, the SunRail board needs to figure out who is going to run operations, but there is no timeline on when that decision could be made. “We don’t want to just flip a switch and spend a lot of money and get something running and not be able to sustain it without the right leadership,” Lockhart said.