TALLAHASSEE — Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Jared Perdue and District 5 Secretary John Tyler told the Senate Transportation Committee that the financial responsibility for SunRail operations has shifted to the Central Florida Commuter Rail Commission and that a phased operational transfer is underway.

“This is a real success story,” said Jared Perdue, secretary of the Florida Department of Transportation, describing the completion of the SunRail system and the negotiated transition with local partners.

John Tyler, FDOT’s District 5 secretary and the chief executive officer of SunRail, told senators that FDOT and five local governments negotiated interlocal agreements that led to the creation of the Central Florida Commuter Rail Commission (CFCRC). The five local partners are the City of Orlando and the counties of Orange, Seminole, Osceola and Volusia. Tyler said the commission has completed initial financial steps — passing budgets, establishing a bank account and financial controls — and “the financial transition became the first priority and was completed by on January 1st this year.”

Under the arrangement FDOT built and operated SunRail beginning with initial service in May 2014 and completed southern and northern extensions; FDOT historically served as capital partner while regional partners were expected to assume long‑term operations and funding. Tyler described the capital funding split for construction as 50% federal, 25% state and 25% local for the initial phases. FDOT will continue to operate the service while CFCRC pays operations costs during the phased transition.

Tyler said the operational transition includes steps such as the CFCRC hiring legal counsel and executive staff, novating contracts and easements, transferring insurance and securing approvals from federal regulators including the Federal Transit Administration and Federal Railroad Administration. He said the process is detailed and may take up to three years because the commission must build an organizational structure it did not previously have.

Perdue stressed safety and ridership growth in his remarks. He noted Positive Train Control (PTC) was implemented on the SunRail corridor in 2021 and that onboard cameras, platform emergency call boxes and station ambassadors are part of the safety program. Tyler reported SunRail ridership topped about 1,200,000 annual riders this past year — a 12 percent increase over 2023 — and said the system’s recent completion helped accelerate transition talks.

Committee members asked about differences between SunRail and Tri-Rail; Perdue explained that commuter rail serves daily regional commuters and that Tri-Rail and SunRail were established under different statutory frameworks and timelines. Perdue said Tri-Rail’s operational funding remains with FDOT for now and is roughly $60,000,000 annually.

No committee vote was taken on the transition update. Senators thanked FDOT staff for the briefing and moved on to other business.