SkyTrain (Vancouver)

SkyTrain
Info
Owner	TransLink
Locale	Vancouver, British Columbia
Transit type	Rapid transit
Number of lines	3 operational, 1 planned
Number of stations	47 (List of stations)
Daily ridership	344,800 (2010)[1]
Operation
Began operation	December 11, 1985
Operator(s)	British Columbia Rapid Transit Company (Expo and Millennium Line) Protrans BC (Canada Line)
Number of vehicles	298
Technical
System length	68.7 km (42.7 mi)
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) (standard gauge)
Electrification	Third rail (Linear induction or Electric motor)
Average speed	45 km/h (28 mph)
Top speed	90 km/h (56 mph) (Expo and Millennium Lines) 80 km/h (50 mph) (Canada Line)

SkyTrain is an urban rapid transit system in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It uses fully automated trains running mostly on elevated tracks. SkyTrain's 68.7 km (42.7 mi) of track make it the longest automated rapid transit system in the world^[2] It also uses the longest mass transit-only bridge, the Skybridge, to cross the Fraser River.^[3] The system has a total of 47 stations on three lines. The Expo Line was built in time for the Expo 86 World's Fair, the Millennium Line opened in 2002, and the Canada Line opened in 2009 in advance of the 2010 Winter Olympics.^[4] The SkyTrain network carries an average of 240,000 passengers per weekday on the interlined Expo and Millennium lines, and 105,000 passengers per weekday on the Canada Line. The system saw record ridership during the 2010 Winter Olympics as it moved an average of 622,000 passengers per day during the 17-day event.^[1]

The Expo Line and Millennium Line are operated by British Columbia Rapid Transit Company under contract from TransLink (originally BC Transit), a regional government transportation agency. It uses a proof-of-payment fare system shared with local bus services, and is policed by the South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority Police Service. SkyTrain Attendants (STAs) are present to provide first aid, directions and customer service, inspect fares, monitor train faults, and operate the trains manually if necessary. The Canada Line is operated on the same principles by the private concessionaire ProTrans BC, and is an integrated part of the regional transport system.

Several expansions to the SkyTrain network have been announced. The Evergreen Line, which will run from Lougheed Town Centre to Coquitlam Town Centre, is in the planning stage, with design to occur in 2010 and construction to be complete in 2014. TransLink has also released a ten-year outlook^[5] outlining a Broadway Line and further expansion of the Expo Line into Surrey. The Broadway Line, although not confirmed, is said to extend from the Millennium Line at VCC–Clark Station and end at the University of British Columbia in the University Endowment Lands, tunneling underneath Broadway most of the way.

Contents 1 Network 2 Operations 2.1 Fares 2.1.1 Fares in the Airport Zone 2.2 Ridership 2.3 Funding 2.4 Security 2.5 Fare gates 3 History 3.1 Impact 3.2 Controversy 4 Design 4.1 Rolling stock 4.1.1 Expo Line and Millennium Line 4.1.1.1 ICTS Mark I fleet 4.1.1.2 Bombardier Mark II train fleet 4.1.2 Canada Line train fleet 5 Future expansion 5.1 Evergreen Line (2014) 5.2 UBC Line/Millennium Line extension (2020) 5.3 Expo Line extension (2020) 6 See also 7 References 8 External links

Network

Line	Opening Year	Length (km)	Stations	Termini		Frequency (minutes)		Travel Time
						Peak	Off-Peak
Expo Line	1985	28.9	20	Waterfront	King George	2.7	6–8	39 min
Millennium Line*	2002	20.3	13	Waterfront	VCC–Clark	5.4	6–8	27 min
Canada Line	2009	19.2	16	Waterfront	Richmond–Brighouse YVR–Airport	3.8**	3.8-10**	25 min/26 min
* Millennium Line is interlined with Expo Line for an additional 15 stations (21 km) from Columbia to Waterfront, for a total travel time of 57 minutes ** Canada Line service is half as frequent at stations south/west of Bridgeport Station, as trains alternate between the two termini

The Expo Line connects Waterfront Station in Vancouver to King George Station in Surrey, principally along a route established by the Westminster and Vancouver Tramway Company as an interurban line in 1890.^[6] It was built in 1985 in time for Expo 86 and has 20 stations. It was given its name only after the Millennium Line was built. It ran only as far as New Westminster Station until 1989, when it was extended to Columbia Station, and in 1990, once the Skybridge was finished, it continued across the Fraser River to Scott Road. In 1994 the terminus of Expo line became King George Station in Central Surrey. It was built on a budget of $854 million (1986 dollars).^[7]

The Millennium Line shares tracks with the Expo Line from Waterfront Station to Columbia Station in New Westminster, then continues along its own route through North Burnaby and East Vancouver, ending at Vancouver Community College (VCC–Clark Station) in Vancouver. It was built on a $1.2-billion budget and the final extension from Commercial Drive Station to VCC–Clark Station was opened on January 6, 2006.^[8] The Millennium Line has 13 stations that are not shared with the Expo Line. Unlike the Expo Line, the Millennium Line's stations were designed by British Columbia's top architects, resulting in dramatically different stations from those on the Expo Line.^[8] In 2004, Busby and Associates Architects, designers of the Brentwood Town Centre Station in Burnaby, were honoured for their work with a Governor General's Medal in Architecture.^[9]

The Canada Line begins at the Waterfront Station hub, then continues south to the City of Richmond and Sea Island. From Bridgeport Station, the Canada Line splits into two branches, one heading west to the YVR–Airport Station and the other continuing south to the Richmond–Brighouse Station. Opened on August 17, 2009, the Canada Line added 15 stations and 19.2 km (11.9 mi) to the existing SkyTrain system. Waterfront Station is the only station where the Canada Line directly connects with the Expo Line and Millennium Line; however, Vancouver City Centre Station is within a three-minute walk from Granville Station, making it an unofficial transfer to the Expo Line and Millennium Line. The Canada Line cost $1.9 billion, financed by the Governments of Canada and British Columbia, TransLink, and InTransitBC.^[10] The Canada Line's trains are fully automated, but are of a different design than the existing lines' Bombardier-built fleet, and use conventional electric motors rather than Bombardier's linear induction technology.

Operations

Fare class	One zone	Two zones	Three zones	Airport AddFare
Adult	$2.50	$3.75	$5.00	+$5.00
Concession	$1.75	$2.50	$3.50	+$5.00

Although it is considered an intermediate-capacity rapid transit system, SkyTrain provides very high-frequency service, with automated trains arriving every 3–5 minutes during peak hours on each line. Trains operate between approximately 5:00 a.m. and 1:30 a.m. on weekdays, with reduced hours on weekends on Expo and Millennium lines. SkyTrain has longer hours of service during special events, such as the Vancouver 2010 Olympics and marathons.^[11]

Fares

TransLink's service area is divided into three zones, with fares varying depending on how many zone boundaries are crossed during one trip. Customers may purchase fares using cash, debit cards, or credit cards from self-serve ticket vending machines at the mezzanine level of each station. A variety of transit passes are available, such as the pre-paid FareSaver ticket, daily DayPass, monthly FareCard, annual EmployerPass, post-secondary student U-Pass, and other specialized passes. Canadian National Institute for the Blind identification cards are accepted without the need to be read by the fare box. One-time fares are valid for 90 minutes on any mode of transportation with any number of transfers, including all SkyTrain lines and bus and SeaBus routes. Concession fares are available for children (ages 6–13), secondary school students, and the elderly.^[12]

SkyTrain's fare system is a proof-of-payment system; there are no turnstiles at the entrances to train platforms. Fares are enforced by random sweeps – usually by police or transit security but occasionally by SkyTrain attendants – through trains and stations, or at special events such as after BC Lions or Vancouver Canucks games. The fine for failure to show proof of payment, fare evasion, ticket reselling, or other scams is $173.^[13][14]

Fares in the Airport Zone

Travel on the Canada Line is free between the three Sea Island stations near the airport: Templeton, Sea Island Centre, and YVR–Airport. Cash fares purchased at ticket machines at these three stations (to depart Sea Island) include an AddFare of $5.00 on top of the normal fare. There is no additional fare for riders travelling towards the airport. The AddFare only applies to cash fares purchased on Sea Island; it does not apply to cash fares purchased outside of Sea Island, pre-paid FareSaver tickets, or transit passes.^[15] FareSavers can be purchased from retailers within the airport to avoid the surcharge. The AddFare came into effect on January 18, 2010.^[16]

Ridership

As of 2009, the SkyTrain network carries an average of 345,000 passengers per weekday. The Expo and Millennium Lines are interlined and carry a combined average of 240,000 per weekday. Of these, about 200,000 ride partially or completely on the Expo Line, and 60,000 ride partially or completely on the Millennium Line. The Canada Line carries an average of 105,000 passengers per weekday, which is above projections; it was not expected to reach such ridership until 2013.^[17]

The SkyTrain network's highest ridership came during the 2010 Winter Olympics. Each Olympic event ticket included unlimited day-of transit usage, and a 30 per cent reduction in downtown car traffic was achieved. During the 17-day event, Canada Line ridership rose 110 per cent to an average of 228,000 per day, with a single-day record of 287,400 on February 19, 2010. Expo and Millennium Line ridership rose 64 per cent to an average of 394,000 per day, with a single-day record of 567,000 on February 20, 2010. At times, every available train was in service on all three lines.^[18]

Funding

The cost of operating SkyTrain in 2008, with an estimated 73.5 million boardings, was $82,684,000.^[19][20] To cover this, TransLink draws mostly from transit fare and advertising ($359,911,000 in 2008) and tax ($262,298,000 from fuel taxes and $297,812,000 from property taxes in 2008), though it must also pay for bus service, certain roads and bridges, and other infrastructure and services.^[19] The capital costs of building the system are shared with other government agencies. Capital expenses were $216,232,000^[19] in 2008. For example, the cost of building the Canada Line was shared between TransLink ($335,000,000 or 22 per cent), the federal government (29 per cent), the provincial government (28 per cent), the airport authority (19 per cent), and the City of Vancouver (2 per cent).^[21] While TransLink has run surpluses for operating costs since 2001,^[22][23] it incurs debt to cover these capital costs. As a whole, TransLink has $1.1 billion in long-term debt, as of 2006, of which $508 million was downloaded from the province during the 1999 transfer of responsibility for SkyTrain.^[22][24] As the province retained ownership of the causeway, bridge, and certain services, it retained a portion of SkyTrain's debt as well.^[25]

Security

Law enforcement services are provided by the South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority Police Service (SCBCTAPS), formerly the Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority Police Service (GVTAPS). They replaced the old TransLink Special Provincial Constables, who had limited authority. On December 4, 2005, GVTAPS officers became the first and only transit police force in Canada to have full police powers and carry firearms. They may arrest people for outstanding warrants, enforce drug laws, enforce the criminal code beyond TransLink property, and deal with offences that begin off TransLink property and make their way onto it. They issue tickets for fare evasion and other infractions on SkyTrain, transit buses, SeaBus, and West Coast Express.^[26]

Transit Security Officers occasionally inspect fares at Skytrain Stations as part of TransLink's Fare Audit. Transit Security Officers mostly focus their efforts on the bus system, bus loops, and Seabus.

SkyTrain attendants provide customer service and first aid, troubleshoot train and station operations, and perform fare inspections alongside the police force.^[27] Public controversy was sparked in March 2005 when it was announced that transit police would carry guns. Then-Solicitor General of British Columbia John Les defended the move, saying that it was necessary to enhance SkyTrain security.^[28] Some critics, such as the Bus Riders Union, claim that the police frighten youth and ethnic minorities during fare checks, though the union has not tracked any statistics.^[29]

Over the years, violence and other criminal activities have been major concerns, but TransLink insists the system is safe.^[30][31] Then-Inspector Kash Heed of the Vancouver Police Department says that little crime takes place in the stations themselves. However, criminal activity becomes more visible 400–700 metres (1,000–2,000 ft) outside them.^[32]

Each station is monitored with an average of 23 closed-circuit television cameras, allowing SkyTrain operators to monitor criminal activity.^[33] Designated wait areas have enhanced lighting, waiting benches, and emergency telephones. Trains have yellow strips above each window which, when pressed, silently alert operators of a security hazard. On-board speaker phones provide two-way communication with passengers and control operators.^[34]

In 2007 the entire surveillance system was upgraded from analogue two-hour tape recording to digital technology, which allows police to retrieve previous footage for up to seven days.^[35]

Fare gates

Installing turnstiles to prevent fare evasion has been considered, but was previously rejected because of the expense of implementing, maintaining, and enforcing them, which would exceed the losses prevented.^[36] TransLink estimates it loses $4 million (5 per cent of its revenue) annually to fare evasion on the SkyTrain.^[37] The Canada Line opened in 2009 without fare gates, despite previously stated intentions to include them. The Canada Line and Millennium Line stations were specifically designed to allow for future fare gates.^[38]

The 2008 Provincial Transit Plan outlined several SkyTrain system upgrades. The plan will replace the proof-of-payment system with a gated-ticket system.^[39] According to then-Minister of Transportation Kevin Falcon, the gated-ticket system would be implemented by a private company by 2010.^[40] In April 2009 it was announced that the provincial and federal governments would spend $100 million^[41] to put the gates in place by the end of 2010. However, in August 2009 a TransLink spokesman revealed that the gates will not be installed before 2012, and that some form of smart card system will be implemented at the same time.^[42]

History

Vancouver had plans as early as the 1950s to build a monorail system, with modernist architect Wells Coates pencilled in to design it; that project was abandoned. The lack of a rapid transit system was said to be the cause of traffic problems in the 1970s, and the municipal government could not fund the construction of such a system.^[43] During the same period, Urban Transportation Development Corporation, then an Ontario crown corporation, was developing a new rapid transit technology known as an "Intermediate Capacity Transit System".^[44] In 1980 the need for rapid transit was great, and Ontario needed buyers for its new technology. "Advanced Rapid Transit" was selected to be built in Vancouver to showcase the Ontario project at Expo 86. Construction was funded by the provincial and federal governments.^[45] The system was ideal for long-term use because labour costs would be low.^[46] Construction of the original line began on March 1, 1982 under the Social Credit government of Bill Bennett,^[47][48] who inaugurated the system at Waterfront Station. SkyTrain was conceived as a legacy project of Expo 86 and the first line was finished in 1985 in time to showcase the fair's theme: "Transportation and Communication: World in Motion – World in Touch".^[49] SkyTrain opened on December 11, 1985 with free weekend service, and entered full revenue service on January 3, 1986.^{[50] [51]}

Until 1990, SkyTrain terminated at New Westminster Station; in 1989 construction began on an extension including the Skybridge, Columbia Station, and Scott Road Station, extending service to Surrey.^[52] The line was expanded yet again in 1994 with the opening of the Gateway, Surrey Central, and King George stations. SkyTrain is part of the 1996 Greater Vancouver Regional District's (GVRD) Livable Region Strategic Plan, which discusses strategies to deal with the anticipated increase of population in the region. These strategies include increasing transportation choices and transit use.^[53]

In 1997 negotiations began at the GVRD on transferring responsibility for SkyTrain from the province to the local governments, after different visions emerged on how to cope with the growing region and expansion line.^[54] In 1999, with the adoption of the Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority Act (now the South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority Act), responsibility for SkyTrain, and ownership of SkyTrain's operating company, British Columbia Rapid Transit Company Ltd., were transferred from BC Transit to the Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority, branded as TransLink.^[55][56] As part of the deal, they agreed on a limited growth plan with the province taking responsibility for expansion under the Crown corporation Rapid Transit Project 2000 Ltd. (RTP 2000) and a cost-sharing scheme.

Transit expansion options for the rapidly growing region, which was outstripping TransLink's capacity, included streetcars, rapid buses, and light rapid transit, which were passed over in favour of new SkyTrain lines.^[57] RTP 2000 proposed a two-phase expansion: a $1.2-billion Millennium Line from New Westminster to Vancouver Community College via Lougheed Town Centre in Phase I; and a $73-million Coquitlam line from Lougheed Mall to Coquitlam Centre via Port Moody, and a Western Line from Vancouver Community College to Granville Street via the Broadway Corridor, both to be completed before 2006, in Phase II.^[54]

The first section of the Millennium Line opened in 2002, with Braid and Sapperton stations. Most of the remaining portion began operating later that year, serving North Burnaby and East Vancouver. Critics of the project dubbed it the "SkyTrain to Nowhere", claiming that the route of the new line was based on political concerns, not the needs of commuters.^[58] One illustration of the legitimacy of this complaint is that the end of the Millennium Line is located in a vacant field, originally chosen because it was supposed to be the location for a new high-tech development and is close to the head office of QLT Inc., but additional development has been slow to get off the ground.^[59][60] Vancouver Community College is currently building its north campus close to the station. That station, VCC-Clark near Clark Drive and Broadway, did not open until 2006 because of difficulty in negotiating the right-of-way from BNSF, but it is still five kilometres short of the original proposed Phase II terminus at Granville Street.^[61] The second Phase II segment is currently being planned, now called the Evergreen Line, and is scheduled to start operations by 2014. Phase I of the Millennium Line was completed $50 million under budget.^[62]

Rapid transit from Vancouver to Richmond had been studied as early as 1990.^[63] As the provincial government changed and regional priorities were developed, the Millennium Line was given priority and built first. By 1998 plans for a line to Richmond resurfaced, including a spur to the Vancouver International Airport, in part to strengthen the planned bid for the 2010 Winter Olympics.^[64] As funding was provided from two levels of government and the airport authority,^[65][66] Translink narrowly approved the new line in 2004 after having twice voted to cancel it.^[67] The line was named the Canada Line to acknowledge the federal government's contribution.^[68] The line was built as a public–private partnership, with the winning bidder, led by SNC-Lavalin (now known as ProTransBC), contributing funds and operating it for 35 years. A minimum ridership is guaranteed by TransLink.^[69] The Canada Line opened on August 17, 2009, 15 weeks ahead of schedule and on budget, and saw an average of 82,500 passengers per day in its first six weeks, putting it well on track to reach its ridership target of 100,000 per day within two years.^[70] The Canada Line is operationally independent from the Expo and Millennium lines, and uses rolling stock that is incompatible with the other lines, but is still part of the SkyTrain network.^[71][72]

Impact

SkyTrain has had a significant impact on the development of areas near stations, and has helped to shape urban density in Metro Vancouver. Between 1991 and 2001, the population living within 500 m of SkyTrain increased by 37 per cent, compared to the regional average of 24 per cent.^[72] Since SkyTrain opened, the total population of the service area rose from 400,000 to 1.3 million people.^[73] According to BC Transit's document SkyTrain: A catalyst for development, more than $5 billion of private money had been invested within a 10–15 minute walking distance of the SkyTrain and SeaBus. The report claimed that the two modes of transportation were the driving force of the investment, though it did not disaggregate the general growth in that area.^[74]

According to Graham R. Crampton, SkyTrain and San Diego's trolley system were among the most successful transit systems in three areas: stimulation of growth in city centres; stimulation of growth in declining areas; and change in the pattern of urban development. Vancouver's system was particularly impressive, according to E. Babalik:^[75]

The most effective system in terms of shaping urban growth is SkyTrain. The corridor that SkyTrain runs through became the main development axis of Vancouver with a notably denser urban form after the opening of SkyTrain. Development densities along SkyTrain route have changed especially as a result of the rezoning plans of the municipalities. These plans increased the densities at station areas, and encouraged office and retail centres at stations. Some of the SkyTrain stations became the ‘new town centres’ as proposed in the metropolitan development plan.

Larry Ward, former president and CEO of British Columbia Rapid Transit Corporation, told Goliath that public reaction to the Millennium Line was positive; customers enjoy the spaciousness of the Mark II cars, the brighter station colours, and the general ambiance.^[62] When Broadway Station opened in 1985, it caused disruption to business south of the station. In an effort to redress the damage done, The Hub was created in 2003 when the adjacent Commercial Drive Station opened. The Hub is a strip of retail businesses within Commercial Drive Station, a transfer point between the Expo and Millennium lines. Almost 50,000 people pass through the intersection every business day.^[76]

The Canada Line has been credited with spurring transit-oriented development in Richmond, where 40,000 residents live within 400 m of the line.^[77] The City of Richmond plans to add 80,000 more residents to its city centre by 2031, concentrated in five high-density neighbourhoods surrounding the city's Canada Line stations.^[78] The City of Vancouver has been slower to adopt a growth strategy; its Cambie Corridor Planning Program, which will be completed by 2011, intends to produce a coordinated strategy for the entire corridor, as well as policies for what the city calls "strategic sites".^[79]

Controversy

A 1998 survey conducted by Canadian Facts for the Rapid Transit system showed that:

• 61 per cent of Greater Vancouver residents were "more likely" to support the construction of SkyTrain than ground-level Light Rail Transit;
• 71 per cent said that "even though SkyTrain is more expensive to build, it is better than ground LRT";
• 69 per cent felt that SkyTrain would have the largest impact on traffic reduction, followed by either transit links (54 per cent), rapid buses on dedicated lanes such as those used for the B-Line bus routes (40 per cent), and less expensive LRT lines (32 per cent);
• 51 per cent said the terminus should have been at UBC, followed by Granville Street (24 per cent) and Broadway/Commercial Station (17 per cent);
• 63 per cent said that SkyTrain is the best mode of transportation, followed by the bus system (24 per cent), the West Coast Express (3 per cent) and the SeaBus (1 per cent).

The survey was released to the public eight days after former premier Glen Clark stated his preference was SkyTrain.^[80] Deming Smith of the Society Promoting Environmental Conservation believed that the selection of Bombardier's technology was politically charged, because construction workers would vote for Glen Clark's party, the New Democratic Party of British Columbia, for providing them with employment.^[81]

The system had debt problems in 1998. The debt servicing of SkyTrain was three and a half times the actual operating budget, whereas the debt servicing of buses was only one-seventh the operating budget.^[82] During construction of the Surrey extension, the Vancouver Regional Transit Commission, a division of BC Transit, was $30 million in debt. The provincial government agreed to cover the debt in 1991 for three years.^[83]

In May 2001, protesters halted construction of the Millennium Line in an attempt to save the trees and vegetation within the Grandview Cut. TransLink scrapped the original plan of building a tunnel in favour of a guideway.^[84] The bridge over the Cut was consequently out of service from April to December 2001. It disrupted bus service and several local businesses, including Canada Post, a hairdressing school, and a restaurant, which experienced a $5000-per-month loss of revenue. The owner appealed to city hall and the Millennium Line Rapid Transit Project Office for compensation, and complained to then-Premier Ujjal Dosanjh and deputy premier Joy MacPhail. Dosanjh sent her a letter saying he would pass her concerns on to Economic Development Minister Mike Farnworth. MacPhail declined her pleas for compensation and said the Nanaimo Bridge construction project was a "necessary evil".^[85]

Construction of the Canada Line raised concerns over the disruption of local business near Yaletown, Cambie Street, and No. 3 Road in Richmond. InTransitBC responded by launching an advertising campaign promoting local business on the line.^[86] Residents of Cambie Street opposed the building of the Canada Line on their street and advocated instead for the line to be built down the Arbutus Corridor, which is zoned for rail transit. Officials said that Cambie was preferred because the line is shorter, and covers more important and trafficked destinations that can generate more revenue, like Vancouver General Hospital, Vancouver City Hall, Oakridge Centre, and Langara College.^[87] Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson was a strong supporter of Cambie Street merchants and spoke regularly about hardships from the Canada Line construction.^[88] He called the handling of the rail line construction an "injustice."^[89] On March 23, 2009, Robertson testified in a lawsuit by a Cambie Street merchant in the B.C. Supreme Court regarding damage to her business from the construction.^[88] The merchant was awarded $600,000 by the court, which ruled that there was insufficient action to mitigate the effects of Canada Line construction on Cambie Street merchants.^[90] On the Canada Line opening day of August 17, 2009, Robertson said Greater Vancouver needed more rapid transit, but that the Canada Line was a "great start" and that he was a "Johnny-come-lately" to the project.^[91]

Design

SkyTrain Route Diagram

SeaBus( Lonsdale Quay ) Burrard   Waterfront WCE( Mission )     Vancouver City Centre   Granville Yaletown–Roundhouse   Stadium–Chinatown Main Street – Science World   Pacific Central Olympic Village    Amtrak( Eugene, OR ) proposed Millennium extension    VIA Rail( Toronto ) Broadway – City Hall   VCC–Clark    Commercial–Broadway King Edward    Nanaimo    29th Avenue   Renfrew Joyce–Collingwood   Rupert proposed 33rd Avenue   Fare zone 1/2 boundary Patterson   Gilmore Metrotown   Brentwood Town Centre Royal Oak   Holdom Edmonds   Sperling – Burnaby Lake Oakridge – 41st Avenue   Lake City Way 22nd Street   Production Way – University Langara – 49th Avenue   Lougheed Town Centre New Westminster   planned Evergreen line proposed 57th Avenue   Braid Columbia   Sapperton Marine Drive    Fare zone 1/2 boundary   Fare zone 2/3 boundary Bridgeport   Scott Road    Gateway Airport zone boundary   Surrey Central Templeton   King George Sea Island Centre   proposed Expo extension proposed YVR-3   Aberdeen YVR-Airport   Lansdowne    Richmond–Brighouse

The Expo and Millennium lines follow a common route between Waterfront Station in Downtown Vancouver and Columbia Station in New Westminster, serving the cities of Vancouver, Burnaby, and New Westminster. From Columbia, Expo Line trains continue through Surrey to King George Station; Millennium Line trains loop back through New Westminster, Burnaby, and Vancouver to VCC–Clark Station. The Canada Line travels southward from Waterfront Station in Downtown Vancouver to Richmond, where the track splits at Bridgeport Station; trains alternate between a southern branch ending at Richmond–Brighouse Station and a western branch ending at Vancouver International Airport. Although most of the system is elevated, SkyTrain runs at or below grade through Downtown Vancouver, for half of the Canada Line's length, and for short stretches in Burnaby and New Westminster.

SkyTrain uses Thales's SelTrac signalling technology to run trains automatically.^[92] Its use has never led to accidents. SkyTrain was one of the first fully automated rapid-transit systems in the world, and remains the longest today.^[93] The Expo Line and Millennium Line have a punctuality record of over 96 per cent; passenger interference with train doors is a principal cause of delays.^[94] There has been one derailment and no collisions in the system's history.^[95]

All stations have elevators. On September 22, 2006, a new entrance to Granville Station was opened, making this station accessible for disabled patrons, who previously had to board trains at either the Burrard or Stadium-Chinatown stations.^[96]

SkyTrain uses the world's longest bridge dedicated to transit services. Skybridge crosses the Fraser River between New Westminster and Surrey. It is a 616 m (2,021 ft) long cable-stayed bridge,^[97] with 123 m (404 ft) tall towers. Two additional transit-only bridges, the North Arm Bridge and the Middle Arm Bridge, were built for the Canada Line. The North Arm Bridge is an extradosed bridge with a total length of 562 m (1844 ft), with shorter 47 m (154 ft) towers necessitated by its proximity to the Vancouver International Airport. The North Arm Bridge also has a pedestrian/bicycle deck connecting the bicycle networks of Vancouver and Richmond.^[98] The Middle Arm Bridge is a shorter box girder bridge.

TransLink upgraded all Expo Line platform station edges to match those on the Millennium Line shortly after it was completed. The new, wider edges are brighter and are tiled to provide a safer environment for the visually impaired. The Canada Line also uses this safety feature in its stations.^[99] Since the opening of the Millennium Line, aside from platform tile upgrading, many Expo line stations have been refitted with new signage and ticket vending machines.

The distinctive chime used in the SkyTrain system was recorded in 1984–85 at Little Mountain Sound Studios in Vancouver.^[100] The automated train announcements have been voiced by Laureen Regan since the opening of the Millennium Line in 2002, and by Karen Kelm between 1985 and 2001.^[101]

Rolling stock

Summary of SkyTrain Fleet

Builder	Model	Year Acquired	Fleet size
Urban Transportation Development Corporation	ICTS Mark I	1984–1986	114 cars
Urban Transportation Development Corporation	ICTS Mark I	1990–1991	16 cars
Urban Transportation Development Corporation	ICTS Mark I	1994–1995	20 cars
Bombardier Transportation	ART Mark II	2000–2002	60 cars
Bombardier Transportation	ART Mark II	2009	34 cars
Bombardier Transportation	ART Mark II	2010	14 cars
Hyundai Rotem	EMU	2009	40 cars

Standard Train Configuration

Model	Seats/car	Capacity/car	Cars/train	Length/train	Capacity/train
ICTS Mark I	36	80	4 or 6 cars	48 or 72 m	320 or 480
ART Mark II (2002)	41	130	2 or 4 cars	34 or 68 m	260 or 520
ART Mark II (2009/2010)	33	145	2 or 4 cars	34 or 68 m	290 or 580
Hyundai Rotem EMU	44	200	2 cars	42 m	400

Expo Line and Millennium Line

The Expo Line and Millennium Line use Bombardier's Advanced Rapid Transit (ART) technology, a system of automated trains driven by linear induction motors, formerly known as Intermediate Capacity Transit System (ICTS). These trains reach speeds of 90 km/h (56 mph);^[102] including wait times at stops, the end-to-end average speed is 45 km/h (28 mph), three times faster than a bus and almost twice as fast as a B-Line express bus.^[103]

ICTS Mark I fleet

The initial fleet consisted of 12-m (40-ft) lightweight Mark I ICTS cars from Urban Transportation Development Corporation, similar to those used by Toronto's Scarborough RT and the Detroit People Mover.^[92] Mark I vehicles are composed of mated pairs and normally run as four-car trains, but can be run in two-, four-, or six-car configurations. The maximum based on station platform lengths is a six-car configuration, totaling 72 m. The SkyTrain fleet currently includes 150 Mark I trains.^[104] These trains have side-facing seats; red, white, and blue interiors; and two doors per car.

Each Mark I car has 36 seats and a capacity of 80 passengers.^[105] Mark I trains have spaces dedicated for wheelchair users, bicycles, and strollers.

The Mark I ICTS cars which arrived between 1984 and 1986 for the opening of the Expo line in 1985 each featured two end-doors, one at the front and back of each car. The back side of each car had sections painted in black. These trains were different from the test train couple used during the ICTS testing in 1983. There are a total of 150 Mark I cars: 114 dating from 1984–1986, which have run an average of more than 3.2 million km apiece; 16 added in 1991 for the Scott Road extension; and 20 added in 1994 for the King George extension.

In 1991, additional Mark I ICTS cars were purchased. These newer cars featured only one end-door on the back side of each car, and the back side was not coloured black. The front of each car had no end doors; instead, the front window was slightly enlarged and was equipped with a windshield wiper. Trains include a fold-down seat near the end doors that permit a rider a view of the tracks from the end car.

Until the early 1990s, the original ICTS Mark I cars were lined with grey carpeting. However, as the carpeting was incredibly difficult to maintain, they were replaced in 1992 with wax flooring of the same colour. Train doors also operated on a button-based "on demand" system, meaning that individual door pairs only opened at the push of a button when passengers wished to get on or off at a particular station. The buttons were also removed in 1992, but ceased being functional in 1989 due in large to passenger confusion as to how to properly use the buttons, doors jamming, as well as trains being notorious for stalling at stations. Doors open and close automatically in unison upon arrival and departure to/from stations.

Between the late 1990s and early 2000s, just prior to the opening of the Millennium Line, SkyTrain gradually refurbished the entire Mark I train fleet in terms of design and layout. This included minor and major paint scheme changes before and following the shift from BC Transit to TransLink, upgrading of signage, changes to fabric scheme and seating arrangement, and a complete re-recording of the station announcement system that had been in use since 1985.

From the beginning of the system's revenue opening in January 1986, SkyTrain operated daytime service with four-car Mark I trains running at a target five-minute frequency. In the years following Expo 86, two-car trains were operated on Sundays and some evenings to maintain the five-minute frequency in off-peak hours without excessive capacity and related operating costs. Two-car trains were phased out between 1988 and 1990 in response to complaints about overcrowding.

Prior to the opening of the Millennium Line, four-car trains became standard because SkyTrain could operate frequent service (about 150 seconds) during peak hours. The opening of GM Place also brought an increase in the number of special events (hockey, concerts, and the short-lived trial of basketball) which required extended capacity during the evenings. SkyTrain operated six-car trains (with reduced frequency) for a time in 1990 due to technical problems after the extension to Scott Road, but reverted to four-car service when those problems were resolved. SkyTrain has also operated longer six-car trains for capacity on some occasions when track maintenance (generally done on weekends) has reduced the operating frequency. Two-car trains only operate during train maintenance and testing at the Edmonds Maintenance and Storage Facility in Burnaby.

Bombardier Mark II train fleet

When the Millennium Line was built, TransLink ordered new-generation Mark II ART trains from Bombardier Transportation, which were manufactured in a $15-million Burnaby factory.^[106] Similar trains are used in Kuala Lumpur's Kelana Jaya Line, New York's JFK AirTrain, and the new Beijing Airport Express. These trains are usually seen in two-car and four-car configurations. Each pair of cars is permanently joined together in a two-car trainset, or 'married pair', with a length of 33.4 m. Mark II trains have a streamlined front and rear, an articulated joint allowing passengers to walk the length of a married pair, white/grey/blue interior, and three doors per car.

Like Mark I trains, Mark II vehicles are fully accessible, with dedicated spaces for wheelchair users, strollers, and bicycles. The first-generation Mark II vehicles each have 41 seats and a capacity of 130 passengers, although trains have carried up to 150 passengers under crush load.^[105] The second-generation Mark II vehicles have fewer seats and wider aisles, providing more space for standees, wheelchairs, strollers, and bicycles; they have 33 seats and a total capacity of 145 passengers. The second-generation Mark II trains also feature interactive LED maps, more handlebars, and video cameras.^[107]

There were 60 Mark II cars added in 2002 for the Millennium Line and ridership growth on the Expo Line.^[108] In November 2006, Bombardier won a contract to supply a further 34 ART Mark II cars with a bid of $113 million. These cars are painted in the new TransLink livery appearing on recent buses, and have new features such as light-up station maps, door indicator lights, and destination boards in the front and back windows of the train. These trains are manufactured and assembled in Sahagun, Mexico, and Thunder Bay, Ontario.^[109] An additional 14 ART Mark II cars have been ordered for delivery in early 2010.^[110] The first of these trains entered regular service on July 3, 2009.

With the acquisition of the initial 60 larger Mark II cars in 2002 as part of the Millennium Line extension, SkyTrain chose to operate most in two-car trains (capacity ~260 passengers). This was a reasonable match to the four-car Mark I trains (~320 passengers), allowing six-minute off-peak service on both branches of the line and three-minute service on the inner portion between Waterfront and Columbia stations, while sustaining a practical operation during peak hours (55 trains in service, with a 108-second frequency between Waterfront and Columbia stations).

With the recent fleet expansion of 48 cars to accommodate ridership growth, SkyTrain has reconfigured most of the new and old Mark II cars into four-car trains to provide more capacity with the same number of trains (55) at the same headway (108 seconds). With plans for an additional 24 cars at some point (subject to TransLink’s funding capacity), SkyTrain plans to further increase the number of six-car Mark I trains in the overall ripple effect of maximizing the number of cars in service and improving overall service.

Canada Line train fleet

The Canada Line uses a separate fleet of trains, which are powered by conventional electric motors instead of Linear Induction Motor (LIM) technology, and are therefore incompatible with both Expo and Millennium Lines. There are a total of 20 trains, which were built by Hyundai Rotem in Korea, operate as two-carriage articulated units, and can reach a speed of 80 kilometres per hour (50 mph) in normal operations, or 90 kilometres per hour (56 mph) in catch-up mode.^[111] They are maintained at a yard next to Bridgeport Station in Richmond.

Canada Line cars are 3 m in width and 20 m in length, both wider and longer than the Mark I and Mark II trains. Each two-car train has seating for 88 and a normal capacity of 334 passengers at 4 passengers/m², with crush load capacity of 400. Therefore a two-car Canada Line train has more capacity than a four-car Mark I train. Canada Line trains feature large, dedicated spaces for wheelchair users, bicycles, and strollers, and sufficient space between seats for luggage. The new trains have large LED displays on both ends of the train, displaying the next station and the terminus station, or system announcements.

Unlike Mark II trains, Canada Line trains will not be operated as longer four- or six-car trains. Each Canada Line train can be expanded to three cars by inserting a middle car at the articulated joint between the two end cars. With the addition of the third car, each Canada Line train will have a capacity similar to a four-car Mark II train or a six-car Mark I train. The Canada Line's station platforms are expandable to 50 m in length to accommodate these future three-car trains; the five busiest stations are already 50 m in length. Beyond this, capacity increases will require adding more trains, rather than increasing the length of each train. The capacity of the line can be increased by 50 per cent through an increase in frequency and another 50 per cent through the use of three-car trains.^[112] The Canada Line has a designed future capacity of 15,000 pphpd when operating three-car trains at 120-second headways, which is nearly three times its current capacity.^[113]

Future expansion

The provincial government of British Columbia is solely responsible for SkyTrain infrastructure expansion.^[39] As of 2009, the provincial government has announced the following future expansions to the SkyTrain network:

Evergreen Line (2014)

Project Name	Line	Date	Section	Stations	Length
Evergreen Line	Evergreen	2014	Lougheed Town Centre to Douglas College	6	11 km

The Evergreen Line (previously known as the PMC Line [Port Moody-Coquitlam] or Northeast Sector Line) is a Phase II segment of the Millennium Line. It was originally scheduled to be completed in 2009, but was delayed to 2014 because of budget concerns.^[114][115] The line will connect Lougheed Town Centre Station on the Millennium Line in Burnaby to Coquitlam City Centre. Because the line was originally conceived as Phase II of the SkyTrain Millennium Line, a third platform was built at Lougheed Town Centre station. A secondary round of planning resulted in a change in technology to a light-rail trainway. The latest planning review resulted in an announcement on February 1, 2008 that the provincial government's preferred system was Automated Light Rail, or SkyTrain-like technology. The expected cost of the line is $1.4 billion.^[116] The goal of this latest change is to boost projected ridership by adding capacity and speed, and by integrating the system with the Millennium Line to reduce the number of times users need to change systems. Given the reference to integration, it is likely the Evergreen Line will use Bombardier's ALRT technology because of the proprietary technology on the existing Millennium Line.

While the provincial government's push for ALRT technology puts the current plan into question, as a tramway, the Evergreen Line was proposed to connect with the existing Millennium Line, running from Lougheed Station elevated along North and Clarke Roads, through a tunnel under Burnaby Mountain, through Port Moody, and towards Coquitlam Centre, where it would run at grade along the Canadian Pacific rail line. It would then connect with the Coquitlam West Coast Express commuter rail station. Elevated again, it would turn northward along Pinetree Way and end near Douglas College.^[117]

UBC Line/Millennium Line extension (2020)

Project Name	Line	Date	Section	Stations	Length
UBC Extension	Millennium	2020	VCC-Clark to UBC	TBD	12.6 km

Early proposals planned to extend SkyTrain west along the Broadway corridor, but stopped well short of UBC because of the cost, estimated at $700 million in 1999.^[118] However, the Provincial Transit Plan, released in February 2008, includes funding for the entire Broadway corridor to UBC. The line would replace the region's busiest bus routes, where over 100,000 trips are made daily. The line would also include an interchange with the Canada Line at Cambie Street. The new line is estimated to cost $2.8 billion and to be completed by 2020.^[39]

Government statements suggest that the UBC line will be an extension of the Millennium Line from VCC–Clark station.^[119] This would mean that commuters from Coquitlam to UBC would not need to change trains during their commute, as Evergreen Line trains would continue to UBC from Lougheed Station. Commuters from the Evergreen and Millennium Lines east of Vancouver would have a secondary route to downtown by changing to the Canada Line instead of the Expo Line.

Expo Line extension (2020)

Project Name	Line(s)	Date	Section	Stations	Length
Fleetwood Extension	Expo	2020	King George to Fleetwood Town Centre	TBD	6 km
King George Extension	Expo	2030	King George to 64th Avenue	TBD	7 km
Langley Extension	Expo	2030	Fleetwood Town Centre to Langley Centre	TBD	7 km

The recent Provincial Transit Plan included a 6-km extension of the Expo line from King George Station in Surrey east to Guildford, then along 152 Street to the Fraser Highway and southeast as far as 168 Street.^[120] It also called for lengthening all Expo Line station platforms. Current platforms can fit six-car Mark I trains and four-car Mark II trains. The extended platforms will accommodate eight-car Mark I trains and six-car Mark II trains, increasing the Expo Line's capacity. The total cost is expected to be $3.1 billion.^[39] The Expo Line will be further extended along Fraser Highway to Langley Centre in Langley, and a second branch extended south along King George Highway to 64 Avenue, by 2030.^[120]

See also

• List of metro systems

References

External links

• TransLink — The transit authority that owns and operates SkyTrain
• Evergreen Line — The Province of British Columbia's page for the proposed Evergreen Line
• Millennium Line Extension — Preliminary study by the city of Vancouver
• Google map of SkyTrain Lines Vancouver — Map of Vancouver SkyTrain via Google Maps
• Translink Police – Official website of South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority Police Service
• Online resource to environmentally friendly transportation in Vancouver — Connecting Vancouver Through Green Technology

TransLink Services in Metro Vancouver   SkyTrain stations SkyTrain Expo Line Waterfront ■■■ · Burrard · Granville · Stadium–Chinatown · Main Street – Science World · Commercial–Broadway ■■ · Nanaimo · 29th Avenue · Joyce–Collingwood · Patterson · Metrotown · Royal Oak · Edmonds · 22nd Street · New Westminster · Columbia ■ · Scott Road · Gateway · Surrey Central · King George SkyTrain Millennium Line Waterfront ■■■ · Burrard · Granville · Stadium–Chinatown · Main Street – Science World · Commercial–Broadway ■■ · Nanaimo · 29th Avenue · Joyce–Collingwood · Patterson · Metrotown · Royal Oak · Edmonds · 22nd Street · New Westminster · Columbia ■ · Sapperton · Braid · Lougheed Town Centre ■ · Production Way – University · Lake City Way · Sperling – Burnaby Lake · Holdom · Brentwood Town Centre · Gilmore · Rupert · Renfrew · Commercial–Broadway ■■■ · VCC–Clark SkyTrain Canada Line Waterfront ■■■■ · Vancouver City Centre · Yaletown–Roundhouse · Olympic Village · Broadway – City Hall ■ · King Edward · Oakridge – 41st Avenue · Langara – 49th Avenue · Marine Drive · Bridgeport ■ · Aberdeen · Lansdowne · Richmond–Brighouse Airport Branch: Bridgeport ■ → Templeton · Sea Island Centre · YVR–Airport   Proposed lines Evergreen Line Lougheed Town Centre ■ · Burquitlam · Port Moody ■ · Ioco · Coquitlam Central ■ · Douglas College   Passenger ferry and commuter rail SeaBus Waterfront ■■■■ · Lonsdale Quay West Coast Express Waterfront ■■■■ · Port Moody · Coquitlam Central ■ · Port Coquitlam · Pitt Meadows · Maple Meadows · Port Haney · Albion · Mission   Bus routes B-Line 91 B-Line · 95 B-Line · 97 B-Line · 98 B-Line · 99 B-Line Express Route 32 · 43 · 44 · 84 · 135 · 189 · 257 · 301 · 394 · 430 · 480 · 509 · 590 · 595 · 791 Exchanges Airport Station · Blanca Loop · Capilano University Exchange · Coquitlam Recreation Centre · Dunbar Loop · Guildford Exchange · Haney Place Exchange · Kootenay Loop · Ladner Exchange · Langley Centre · Marpole Loop · Matthews Exchange · Newton Exchange · Park Royal Exchange · Phibbs Exchange · Port Coquitlam Centre · Scottsdale Exchange · SFU Exchange · South Delta Exchange · South Surrey Park and Ride · Stanley Park Loop · UBC Loop · White Rock Centre · Walnut Grove Park and Ride Stations ordered inbound → outbound · ■■■■■■■ indicate connections · Future stations or routes in italics · Former stations or routes in strike · See fare structure here

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