ORLANDO, Fla. – SunRail stations were packed after the Orlando City Soccer season opener on Sunday, but Florida Department of Transportation officials say overall, ridership is down and that means constructing an extension to Lake County is not a priority.
"It's just a matter of cost and who is going to pay for it," said Noranne Downs, DOT District Five secretary.
State and local officials met with Congressman John Mica on Monday to discuss Orange Blossom Express, a feeder rail system that would connect Lake County and Orlando.
Downs says the cost to do that is about $350 million.
Mica is proposing what he says would be a cheaper alternative- reaching out to a private company that is already transporting freight in that direction, and doing a demonstration of service, or test run, with passenger cars.
"There is ridership that I think could support that and the existing freight rail system can provide some service for that demonstration with full service in the future," he said.
Meanwhile he says the southern leg of SunRail, which will take riders to Poinciana, is waiting on federal funds before shovels can hit the ground.
The next project on the line, according to transportation officials, would be a SunRail connection to the Orlando International Airport.
They say that could happen in just five years.