| West Coast Express | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The West Coast Express at Waterfront Station. |
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| Owner | TransLink | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Locale | Lower Mainland, British Columbia, Canada | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Transit type | Commuter Rail | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number of lines | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number of stations | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Daily ridership | 10,500[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operation | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Began operation | November 1, 1995 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operator(s) | Canadian Pacific Railway Via Rail |
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| Reporting marks | WCEX | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Technical | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) (standard gauge) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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West Coast Express (reporting mark WCEX) is the interregional commuter railway in British Columbia, Canada. Opened in 1995, it links Mission, Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows, Port Coquitlam, Coquitlam, and Port Moody with Waterfront Station in Downtown Vancouver, where it interchanges with SkyTrain rapid transit, SeaBus and other public transportation services.
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The West Coast Express operates from Monday to Friday excluding holidays, with five trains per day running from Mission to Vancouver in the morning peak hours and returning to Mission in the evening peak. A one-way trip the length of the line takes 73 minutes, which is faster and more reliable than driving to Downtown Vancouver. In addition, there are two buses (called the "TrainBus") which operate from Mission to Vancouver in the morning (after all the trains depart) and five returning to Mission in the evening (two prior, and three after all trains leave Vancouver eastbound), stopping at all West Coast Express stations. There are also three Trainbus departures in each direction on Saturdays and two on Sundays.[3] The commuter railway is operated by TransLink, the transportation authority of the Metro Vancouver region, and a member of Canadian Urban Transit Association. See TransLink Fare for pricing of WCE's fare. The South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority Police Service, as well as Transit Security Officers conduct random fare inspections on board trains. Persons caught without valid fare could be removed from the train, and fined $173.
Each train consists of a General Motors/ EMD F59PHI diesel-electric locomotive and between five and ten Bombardier BiLevel passenger carriages. West Coast Express also operates a MPI MP36PH-3C for backup. The total fleet of passenger coaches is 44.[4] Each passenger carriage has a seating capacity of 144 people. Like many commuter railways, West Coast Express uses push-pull operation; instead of moving the locomotive to the other end of the train, it is simply controlled remotely from a second cab in the last passenger carriage, allowing the train to run 'backwards'; this occurs during mornings, as during afternoons the locomotive is at the front of train. Passenger amenities include washrooms, a cappuccino bar, power outlets, wheelchair accessibility, and space for bicycles.
The carriages and locomotives are maintained by Via Rail, and the train tracks belong to the Canadian Pacific Railway who is also the operator of the service.
From Waterfront Station, effective November 2010[5]:
| Destination | Port Moody, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam | Pitt Meadows, Maple Meadows, Port Haney | Mission City |
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| Adult fare (one way) | $6.75 | $8.25 | $11.25 |
| Adult fare (return) | $12.50 | $15.50 | $21.00 |
| Adult fare (Weekly) | $58.00 | $70.50 | $97.50 |
| Adult fare (28-day) | $178.75 | $217.00 | $298.50 |
West Coast Express fares can also be used as a three-zone fare on other TransLink services. A one-way fare expires three hours from the time of purchase, all other fares work as an all-day pass.
| Manufacturer | Model | Numbers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bombardier Transportation | Bi-level Coach VI | 37 | |
| General Motors | F59PHI locomotives | 5 | |
| Motive Power, Inc. | MP36PH-3C | 1 | Arrived Dec 2006 |
Denotes wheelchair access
Translink's 2009 Capital Plan includes $28 million for 7 more Coaches, upgrades to the Waterfront and Mission stations, as well as platform extensions to handle longer trains.[6] TransLink has also proposed a number of other improvements to West Coast Express service,[7] three of the key improvements being:
Plans for a new station in northern Burnaby have been indefinitely scrapped.
On Monday, July 18, 2011 at just after 7:10am, a westbound West Coast Express collided with a person on the tracks at Coquitlam Central Station [8]. Police confirmed that the death was not suspicious.[9] According to Translink, this is the first time in the train's 16 year operation that someone has been hit at Coquitlam Central. [10]
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