A service disruption bus bridge is a temporary system of shuttle buses that is put in place when SunRail is unable to proceed with normal operations. These buses provide a “bridge” between stations and bypass the area that has caused an interruption in our service. Buses are provided by our LYNX and Votran partners and will display “SunRail Special.” They offer free transportation serving SunRail Stations where the trains are unable to travel to. Buses will serve passengers traveling northbound and southbound. The bus bridge will remain in place until train service is restored. Buses that are en route when train service is restored will complete their trip.
Our suburban stations that have bus loops allow for the buses to pull directly into the station. However, drop-off/pick-up areas are assigned when the Winter Park/Amtrak, AdventHealth, LYNX Central, Church Street, and Orlando Health/Amtrak Stations are affected. These locations are subject to change due to construction, road closings, etc. so passengers are advised to contact the SunRail Customer Service Center at 1-855-RAIL-411 (1-855-724-5411) to confirm the locations. The information will also be displayed on our website SunRail.com and at the affected stations on the message boards located on the platform.
There are two types of bus bridges:
- Emergency bus bridges – An emergency bus bridge is implemented when SunRail is experiencing an unplanned interruption in service that prevents trains from making all station stops. Situations will vary based on the number of stations affected, time of day, type of incident, etc.
- Planned bus bridges – Planned bus bridges are scheduled for a specific time frame and advanced notice is provided.
An example of how a bus bridge works is as follows:
An alert is issued to passengers that a bus bridge is being implemented for passengers traveling between the AdventHealth and Sand Lake Road Stations. Buses will be dispatched by LYNX to the designated bus stop location at the AdventHealth and Sand Lake Road Stations so that buses are traveling in both directions simultaneously:
- Buses arriving at the AdventHealth Station designated drop-off/pick-up location will provide service for all stations south of the AdventHealth Station until it reaches the Sand Lake Road Station. The bus will then continue providing northbound service if necessary.
- Buses arriving at the Sand Lake Road Station will depart heading northbound and will provide service for all stations north until it reaches the AdventHealth drop-off/pick-up location. Passengers continuing northbound will head to the AdventHealth Station platform to catch the next train, while the buses will provide southbound service, if necessary.
- SunRail will operate between DeBary and AdventHealth Stations according to our published schedule. Trains depart DeBary and when they arrive at the AdventHealth Station, passengers continuing southbound will exit the train and proceed to the bus bridge. The train will then “turn” at the AdventHealth Station and will wait at the station until its scheduled northbound departure time.