2022 transportation sales tax referendum<\/a>, which voters rejected. Without a dedicated funding source for both construction and operations, the project has not advanced.\u00a0<\/p>\nApopka Mayor Bryan Nelson said efforts to position the corridor for future passenger rail have been underway for years, including upgrades to an existing rail line.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAs the former Orange County commissioner and mayor of Apopka, I had asked Florida Central Railroad to upgrade their rail line from Tavares to Apopka and then into Orlando,\u201d Nelson said in an email. \u201cWe call this line the Orange Blossom Express.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nelson said the\u00a0Orange Blossom Express\u00a0has seen improvements, including upgraded tracks and crossing signals capable of supporting passenger rail if funding were to become available.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Still, he acknowledged that cost\u00a0remains\u00a0a significant barrier.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe current operating cost to the cities of Altamonte\u00a0[Springs], Maitland and Winter Park is very steep, and without dedicated\u00a0County,\u00a0State and\u00a0Federal help,\u00a0it might not make sense to add the Orange Blossom Express to the\u00a0SunRail\u00a0system,\u201d Nelson said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The corridor itself has not been revisited in recent years. The last formal study of a rail connection along U.S. Highway 441 was completed by the Florida Department of Transportation in 2015, Brett Blackadar, Orange County Public Works deputy director, said in an email.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Since then, regional priorities have shifted.\u00a0According to\u00a0MetroPlan\u00a0Orlando, Apopka\u00a0remains\u00a0part of long-range transportation plans, including potential bus rapid transit corridors and future\u00a0SunRail\u00a0improvements tied to the Orange Blossom Express concept.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
However, those plans\u00a0remain\u00a0conceptual, with no timeline or ranking for implementation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAs of now, the main priority for\u00a0SunRail\u00a0expansion is\u00a0connecting to Orlando International Airport,\u201d\u00a0Sarah Larsen,\u00a0MetroPlan\u00a0Orlando transportation planner, said in an email,\u00a0referring to the Sunshine Corridor project.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Beyond that effort, \u201cadditional expansions have not been prioritized or ranked,\u201d\u00a0Larsen added.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Orange County officials confirmed that the Sunshine Corridor\u00a0\u2013\u00a0linking\u00a0SunRail\u00a0to the airport and the tourism district\u00a0\u2013\u00a0is further along in the planning and funding process than the Apopka rail corridor.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Even so, both projects face the same challenge: securing long-term funding.\u00a0Officials say the region\u2019s focus on connecting\u00a0SunRail\u00a0to Orlando International Airport reflects a priority on increasing ridership and linking major economic centers, even as communities like Apopka continue to experience rapid growth.\u00a0<\/p>\n
During the\u00a0April 9\u00a0TransMAC\u00a0meeting, board member Jose Hoyos, a LYNX bus operator who works\u00a0frequently\u00a0near Orlando International Airport, said a direct rail connection could significantly improve mobility for Apopka residents.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0want\u00a0SunRail\u00a0just to be a separate\u00a0rail line,\u00a0commuter rail line. I want it to be an extension of the airport,\u201d Hoyos said\u00a0during the meeting.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nelson said such a connection could expand regional access, allowing residents to travel from communities west of Apopka into Orlando and beyond.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt could be a game changer,\u201d he said. \u201cBut without financial help, the cost to taxpayers would be a heavy lift.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/6.png\")
<\/p>\n
Teresa Sargeant has been with The Apopka Chief for over 10 years.<\/p>\n
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