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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 have been tiled in hopes of providing a safer environment for the visually impaired.<ref>{{cite news|last=Thomas|first=Sandra|url=http://archive.vancourier.com/issues02/113102/news/113102nn9.html|title=TransLink putting in tactile strips on Expo Line to help visually impaired|work=The Vancouver Courier|date=[[2005-08-05]]|accessdate=2009-03-18}}</ref>
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 have been tiled in hopes of providing a safer environment for the visually impaired.<ref>{{cite news|last=Thomas|first=Sandra|url=http://archive.vancourier.com/issues02/113102/news/113102nn9.html|title=TransLink putting in tactile strips on Expo Line to help visually impaired|work=The Vancouver Courier|date=[[2005-08-05]]|accessdate=2009-03-18}}</ref>

The distinctive chime used in the SkyTrain system was recorded in 1984/85 at [[Little Mountain Sound Studios]] in Vancouver.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://buzzer.translink.ca/index.php/2008/12/podcast-the-story-of-the-skytrain-chime/|title=Podcast: the story of the SkyTrain chime|publisher=The Buzzer Blog (TransLink)|date=[[2008-12-01]]}}</ref> The automated station announcements were voiced by Laureen Regan.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://buzzer.translink.ca/index.php/2008/10/buzzer-podcast-voice-of-the-skytrain/|title=Buzzer Podcast: Voice of the SkyTrain|publisher=The Buzzer Blog (TransLink)|date=[[2008-10-20]]}}</ref>


===Rolling stock===
===Rolling stock===

Revision as of 14:38, 26 May 2009

SkyTrain
Overview
OwnerTransLink
LocaleVancouver, British Columbia
Transit typeRapid transit
Number of lines2 operational, 1 under construction, 1 planned
Number of stations33 (List of stations)
Daily ridership271,000 (2007)[1]
Operation
Began operationExpo Line: 1985
Millennium Line: 2002
Operator(s)British Columbia Rapid Transit Company
Number of vehicles210
Technical
System length49.5 km (30.76 mi)
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) (standard gauge)
ElectrificationThird rail (Linear induction)
Average speed45 km/h (28 mph)
Top speed90 km/h (56 mph)
System map
A map of the current SkyTrain routes
A map of the current SkyTrain routes

The SkyTrain is a two-line urban mass transit system in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It uses Bombardier's Advanced Rapid Transit technology, with fully automated trains running principally on elevated tracks (hence the name). There have been no derailments or collisions in its history.[2] It uses the same linear induction motor-driven trains as the Scarborough RT line in Toronto, the Kelana Jaya Line in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Detroit's People Mover, and the AirTrain JFK in New York City.

SkyTrain is operated by British Columbia Rapid Transit Company under contract from TransLink, a regional government transportation agency. It operates on a proof-of-payment fare system 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. TransLink claims to lose about C$6 million in unpaid fares annually, including $3 million from SkyTrain alone.

SkyTrain's 49.5 km (30.8 mi) of track make it the longest automated light rapid transit system in the world. It also uses the longest mass transit-only bridge, the SkyBridge, to cross the Fraser River. There are 33 stations in the system, which carries more than 210,000 passengers per day on the two lines.[3] The Expo Line was built in time for the Expo 86 World's Fair. The Millennium Line opened in 2002, and was further extended in 2006.

A third line, the Canada Line, is under construction, and scheduled to open by early September 2009. The Evergreen Line is in the planning stage, and is planned to be completed in 2014. TransLink has also released a ten-year outlook[4] outlining a Broadway Line and further expansion of the Expo Line into Surrey. The Evergreen Line will run from Lougheed Town Centre to Coquitlam Town Centre. 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 a majority of the way. The system has been the subject of several political, social, and economic controversies.

History

A plaque commemorating the inauguration of the SkyTrain.

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.[5] During the same period, Urban Transportation Development Corporation, a former Ontario-based crown corporation, was developing a new type of rapid transit officially known as "Intermediate Capacity Transit System".[6] 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 (though there had been plans as early as the 1950s to build a monorail system, with modernist architect Wells Coates pencilled in to design it. The project was abandoned). Construction was funded by the provincial and federal government.[7] The system was ideal for a long-term transit solution primarily because labour costs would be low.[8] Construction of the original line proceeded on March 1, 1982 under the Social Credit government of Bill Bennett,[9][10] who inaugurated the system at Waterfront Station. The 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".[11] SkyTrain began operating on December 11, 1985 and began carrying passengers in January, 1986.[12] [13] Originally SkyTrain terminated at New Westminster Station until 1990; construction began on an extension in 1989 including the SkyBridge, Columbia Station and Scott Road Station, expanding service to Surrey.[14] The line was expanded yet again in 1994 with the opening of the Gateway, Surrey Central, and King George stations. The 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 near future. Some of these include methods of increasing transportation choices and much higher transit use.[15]

In 1997 negotiations began on transferring responsibility for SkyTrain from the province to the local governments at the GVRD after different visions emerged on how to cope with the growing region and expansion line.[16] In 1999, with the adoption of the Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority Act (now South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority Act), responsibility for SkyTrain, and the 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.[17][18] 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.

Expansion options for the rapidly growing region that was outstripping TransLink's capacity and ability to cope, included streetcars, rapid buses, and light rapid transit, which were passed over in favour of new SkyTrain lines.[19] RTP 2000 proposed a two-phase expansion: a $1.2 billion Millennium Line from New Westminster to the Vancouver Community College via Lougheed Town Centre in Phase I and a $730 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.[16]

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.[20] An illustration of this complaint is that the end of the Millennium Line is in a vacant field, a site that was chosen because it was supposed to be the location for a new high-tech development and is a few hundred metres from the head office of QLT Inc. but additional development has been slow to get off the ground.[21][22] 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.[23] The second Phase II segment is currently being planned, the line being called the Evergreen Line, and is scheduled to start operations by 2014. Phase I of the Millennium was completed under budget.[24]

Lines

The SkyTrain runs on two lines: the Expo Line and the Millennium Line, coloured blue and yellow respectively on maps. The system is 49.5 km (30.8 mi) [25] in length and features 33 stations throughout the two lines. The system shares Waterfront Station with the Canada Line, which is scheduled to open in September, 2009.[26]

The Evergreen Line is an expansion line that has passed the approval stage; it was confirmed by both the Provincial Government of British Columbia and TransLink in February 2008 that it will use Bombardier Advanced Rapid Transit (SkyTrain-like) technology, rather than light rail as previously planned. This line will be completed in 2014. The UBC Line (extension of the Millennium Line to UBC via Broadway) will be completed by 2020 according to the Provincial Transportation Plan.[27] Studies, which will include extensive public consultation, are underway to determine the best technology, route and overall form of this rapid transit expansion.

When not in use, the trains are stored at the Operations and Maintenance Centre, located between the Edmonds and 22nd Street stations (Southridge and Griffiths Drives) in Burnaby. Expansion of this facility – funded in large part by federal government's Gas Tax Revenue Fund – is underway, in order to accommodate a shipment of 48 new SkyTrain cars through spring 2010. The first have already arrived and should be in service in May 2009.

A Mark II train travelling along the Expo Line between Broadway Station and Main Street-Science World Station.
A MK I train passing by on the Millennium Line, between VCC-Clark Station and Commercial Drive Station.

In operation

Main articles: Expo Line and Millennium Line

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.[28] 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).[29]

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).[30] 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.[30] In 2004, Busby + Associates Architects, designers of the Brentwood Town Centre Station in Burnaby, were honoured for their work with a Governor General's Medal in Architecture.[31]

Expansion

Template:Future public transportation

Canada Line

Main article: Canada Line

The Canada Line will run primarily north-south from Downtown Vancouver to Richmond, passing near the Vancouver International Airport where a branch line will be constructed. Currently scheduled for completion by Labour Day in September 2009, in time for the 2010 Winter Olympics, the line is being built by InTransitBC, a consortium headed by SNC-Lavalin. InTransitBC will design, finance, build, operate, and maintain the line in a public-private partnership (P3 or PPP) project[32] with a $1.9 billion contract.[33] It was announced on November 25, 2005 that the new line would be called the Canada Line as a funding condition from the Federal Government.[34] The line will be operated separately from the existing two lines,[35] but use the same fare system as the rest of the transit system managed by TransLink. Security concerns regarding the new line have been raised and are currently under study by both TransLink and the City of Richmond.[36]

Canada Line vehicles near Vancouver International Airport.

The Canada Line's trains will be 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. This was largely a consequence of the public-private partnership format (a condition of BC government funding), which selected the proposal by SNC-Lavalin/Serco over that of the RAVxpress (Bombardier) consortium.

Known in early planning stages as the Richmond-Airport-Vancouver (RAV) Line, the Canada Line will run from Waterfront Station to Richmond-Brighouse Station, with a branch serving Vancouver International Airport, and will have 16 new stations: nine in Vancouver, four on Lulu Island, and three on Sea Island.[37]

Evergreen Line

Main article: Evergreen Line (Vancouver)

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.[38] The line will connect Lougheed Town Centre Station on the Millennium Line in Burnaby to Coquitlam City Centre. As the line was originally conceived of 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 the technology to a light-rail tramway. The latest planning review resulted in an announcement on February 1, 2008 that the Provincial government's preferred system would be Automated Light Rail, or SkyTrain-like technology. The expected cost is $1.4 billion.[39] 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 highly likely the Evergreen Line will be Bombardier's ALRT system because of the proprietary technology on the existing Millennium Line.

While the BC government's push for ALRT puts the current plan into question, as a tramway, the Evergreen Line would connect with the existing Millennium line, running from Lougheed Station elevated along the North and Clarke Roads, then 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.[40]

UBC Line/Millennium Line extension

Early proposals planned to extend SkyTrain west along the Broadway corridor, but stopped well short of UBC because of the cost, estimated at approximately $700 million (1999).[41] 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 already made on a daily basis. 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.[27]

Statements by government suggest that the UBC line will be an extension of the Millennium Line from VCC-Clark station. This scenario could mean that commuters from Coquitlam to UBC would not need to change trains at all during their commute as Evergreen Line trains would continue on to UBC from Lougheed. Also, 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/expansion

The recent Provincial Transit Plan included a six-kilometre 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.[42] It also included the lengthening of 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.[27] The Expo SkyTrain line will be further extended along the Fraser Highway to Langley Centre in Langley, by 2030.[42]

The projected map of the rapid transit network in 2014, including connections to SeaBus, West Coast Express, and B-Line bus rapid transit.

SkyTrain upgrades

The Provincial Transit Plan outlines several SkyTrain system upgrades. The plan will eliminate the Proof-of-Payment system in favour of a gated-ticket system.[27] According to Ministry of Transportation head Kevin Falcon, the gated-ticket system would be done by a private company and completed by 2010.[43]

Fares

Further information: [[:TransLink fares (Vancouver)]]
TransLink's zone boundary map
Fare class One zone Two zones Three zones
Adult $2.50 $3.75 $5.00
Concession $1.75 $2.50 $3.50
A ticket vending machine (right), next to a FareSaver validator.

Greater Vancouver is divided into three zones, with fares varying depending on how many zone boundaries are crossed during one trip. Customers may purchase fares by using cash, debit cards or credit cards at the mezzanine level of each station from self-serve ticket vending machines. There are a variety of transit passes available, such as a pre-paid FareSaver ticket, daily DayPass, monthly FareCard, annual EmployerPass, post-secondary student U-Pass, and other specialized passes. CNIB 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, bus and SeaBus routes. Concession fares are available for children (6–13), secondary school students, and the elderly.[44]

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 but occasionally by SkyTrain attendants or Transit Security – through trains and stations, or at special events such as after BC Lions or Vancouver Canucks games. TransLink estimates it loses $4 million (5% of its revenue) annually from fare evasion on the SkyTrain.[45] The fine for failure to show proof of payment, or fare evasion, ticket reselling or other scams, is $173.[46][47] Installing turnstiles to prevent fare evasion has been considered, but rejected because of the expense of implementing, maintaining, and enforcing them, which would exceed the losses prevented.[48] In spite of this, TransLink directors are considering turnstiles at new Canada Line stations.[49]

The cost of operating the SkyTrain system in 2005, with an estimated 66,292,000 boarded passengers, was $73,381,000.[50] To cover this, TransLink draws mostly from two revenue sources: transit fare ($285,520,000 in 2005) and tax ($254,628,000 from fuel taxes and $216,824,000 from property taxes in 2005), though it must also pay for bus service, certain roads and bridges, and other infrastructure and services.[50] The capital costs of building the system are shared with other government agencies. For example, the cost of building the Canada Line is being shared between TransLink ($335,000,000 or 22%), the federal government (29%), the province (28%), the airport authority (19%), and the City of Vancouver (2%).[51] While TransLink has run surpluses for operating costs since 2001,[50][52] to cover these capital costs it incurs debt. 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 the SkyTrain.[50][53] As the province retained ownership of the causeway, bridge, and certain services, it retained a portion of SkyTrain's debt as well.[54]

Security

Law enforcement services are provided by the South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority Police Service, formerly 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 having full police powers and carrying firearms. They may arrest people for outstanding warrants, enforce drug laws, and enforce the criminal code beyond TransLink property, as well as 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, buses, SeaBus, and West Coast Express.[55]

Bus advertisement for the GVTAPS police

Transit Security Officers also patrol the SkyTrain but concentrate their efforts mostly on the bus system.

SkyTrain attendants provide customer service and first aid, and troubleshoot train and station operations, as well as perform fare inspections alongside the police force.[56] Public controversy was sparked in March 2005 when it was announced that transit police would carry guns. Solicitor General John Les however, defended the move, saying that it was necessary to enhance SkyTrain security.[57] 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.[58]

Over the years, violence and other criminal activities have been major concerns, but TransLink insists the system is safe.[59][60] 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.[61]

Stations are monitored with closed circuit television cameras, allowing SkyTrain operators to monitor any criminal activity. 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.[62]

Recently, the entire surveillance system was upgraded from analog two-hour tape recording to digital technology, which allows police to retrieve previous footage for up to seven days.[63]

Public reaction

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.[64] When Broadway Station opened in 1985, it caused disruption to business south of the station. In an effort to repair the damage done, the Hub was created when the adjacent Commercial Drive Station opened. The Hub is a strip of retail businesses situated within Commercial Drive Station where Expo Line passengers transfer to the Millennium Line and vice versa. Close to 50,000 people pass through the intersection every business day.[65]

Larry Ward, former president and CEO of British Columbia Rapid Transit Corporation told Goliath that the public reaction of the Millennium Line was positive; customers enjoy the spaciousness of the Mark II cars, the brighter station colours, and the general ambiance.[24] The SkyTrain has had a significant impact on the development of areas in which stations are located for several reasons, including the fact residents in the growing suburbs were given an efficient alternative to the Trans-Canada Highway for commuting to and from Vancouver. Since SkyTrain began, the overall population of the area rose from 400,000 to 1.3 million people.[66] According to Graham R. Crampton's research paper, the SkyTrain, and San Diego trolley systems were among the most successful in the three arenas:

  1. Stimulation of growth in city centres;
  2. Stimulation of growth in declining areas; and
  3. Change in the pattern of urban development

Vancouver was particularly impressive, according to E. Babalik's paper:[67]

The most effective system in terms of shaping urban growth is the SkyTrain. The corridor that the SkyTrain runs through became the main development axis of Vancouver with a notably denser urban form after the opening of the SkyTrain. Development densities along the 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.

Controversy

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

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

The survey was released to the public eight days after former premier Glen Clark stated his preference was SkyTrain.[68] Deming Smith of the Society Promoting Environmental Conservation believed that the use of Bombardier's technology was politically charged; that construction workers would vote for Glen Clark's party, the British Columbia New Democratic Party, for providing them with employment.[69]

The system has 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.[70] During the 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.[71]

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.[72] 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 both then Premier Ujjal Dosanjh and deputy premier Joy MacPhail. Dosanjh sent her a polite, pre-election letter which said 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".[73]

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.[74] Residents of Cambie Street opposed the building of the Canada Line on their street and advocated for the line to be built down the Arbutus Corridor instead, which is zoned for rail transit. Officials say that Cambie is 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.[75]

Design

A Mark II SkyTrain at Rupert station, Millennium Line

The SkyTrain uses Alcatel's SelTrac signalling technology to run trains automatically.[76] Its use has never led to accidents. The two 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. Although most of the system is elevated, SkyTrain runs at or below grade through Downtown Vancouver, and for short stretches in Vancouver, Burnaby, and New Westminster. The SkyTrain was one of the first fully automated rapid-transit systems in the world, and remains the longest today.[25]

All stations have elevators. On September 22, 2006, a new entrance to Granville Station was opened, making this previously inaccessible station accessible for disabled patrons, who previously had to board trains at either the Burrard or Stadium-Chinatown stations.[77]

SkyTrain uses the world's longest bridge dedicated to transit services. The Skybridge crosses the Fraser River between New Westminster and Surrey. It is a 616 m (2,021 ft) long cable-stayed bridge,[78] with 123 m (404 ft) tall towers.

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 have been tiled in hopes of providing a safer environment for the visually impaired.[79]

The distinctive chime used in the SkyTrain system was recorded in 1984/85 at Little Mountain Sound Studios in Vancouver.[80] The automated station announcements were voiced by Laureen Regan.[81]

Rolling stock

The fleet is made up of 210 ART cars (150 Mark I and 60 Mark II): the original 114 Mark I cars from 1984–1986, which have run an average of more than 3.2 million kilometres apiece; 16 Mark I cars from 1991 for the Scott Road extension; 20 Mark I cars from 1994 for the King George extension; 60 Mark II cars from 2002 for the Millennium Line and ridership growth on the Expo Line.[82]

Both Mark I and Mark II cars are wheelchair-accessible, having space for wheelchairs. However, two stations have accessibility issues because of nearby construction: Columbia and Scott Road stations. Sapperton station was inaccessible for a few months while the building connected to the station was constructed, but that building was completed in late 2008, and an elevator has been announced for Scott Road's west exit. Bicycles are also permitted on board during non-peak hours in both directions, and opposite the peak direction during peak hours.

SkyTrain cars reach speeds of 90 km/h (56 mph).[83] When 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.[84]

The Canada Line will not share the existing lines’ stock, but instead use a separate fleet of larger, two-carriage ROTEM EMUs.[85]

Mark I trains

The interior of an older MK I train.
Skytrain MK I Car No. 041 berthed at Broadway station on the Expo Line.

The Expo Line used 12-metre (40 ft) lightweight Mark I ICTS cars from Urban Transportation Development Corporation, cars similar to the ones used in Toronto's Scarborough RT and Detroit's People Mover.[76] MK I vehicles are composed of mated pairs normally run as four-car trains, but can be run in two-, four- or six-car configuration. The maximum based on station size is a six-car configuration, totaling 72 metres. SkyTrain currently owns 150 Mark I trains.[86] One can easily recognize these trains as they have side facing seats, feature a red/white/blue interior, and have two doors per car.

The Mark I ICTS cars which arrived for the opening of the Expo line in 1985 each featured two end-doors; one door on both the front and back of each car. The backside of each car had sections painted in black.

In 1991, additional Mark I ICTS cars were purchased. These slightly newer cars featured only one end door on the backside of each car, and the backside was not coloured black. In the front of each car, there were 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 should they be riding in an end car. This seat is popular for railroad enthusiasts, also known as railfans.

Originally, Mark I cars were lined with blue carpeting rather than the current grey wax floors; the carpets did not last long, simply because they were not easy to maintain. Slight changes in paint jobs over the years as well have changed the front step on the trains from white to red, and now there is an entirely new Translink colour scheme. Traditional red and blue alternate seating colours have been replaced entirely by blue vinyl fabric.

Before the Expo Line had expanded past Scott Road Station, Mark I trains followed almost exclusively a two-car configuration except during peak hours and major events (during Expo 86, it was four-car train units). Increased ridership following the expansion of the Expo Line to King George changed the train configurations to four-car units permanently, and six cars during high peak periods.

Mark II trains

The MK II trains have more spacious interiors, which allow them to carry more riders in trains of the same size.

When the Millennium Line was built, TransLink ordered newer-generation Mark II trains from Bombardier Transportation. Similar trains are used in Kuala Lumpur's Putra LRT, New York's JFK AirTrain and Beijing's new Airport People Mover. These trains are usually seen in two-car and four-car configurations. Each pair of cars (either two old cars or one articulated set of two new cars) is permanently joined together in a two-car trainset, or 'married pair'. One can easily recognize these trains as they have a streamlined front and rear, articulated joint, white/grey/blue interior, and three doors per car.

Skytrain MK II car No. 207 leads a train into Sapperton Station on the Millennium Line.

The MKII cars from 2002 were manufactured by Bombardier in a $15 million Burnaby factory.[87] In November, 2006, Bombardier won a contract to supply 34 ART MKII cars with a bid of $113 million. These cars are painted in the new TransLink livery appearing on recent buses, and are expected to be in service in the first half of 2009, but are not being locally assembled; they are instead being manufactured and assembled in Sahagun, Mexico, and Thunder Bay, Ontario.[88] An additional 14 ART MKII cars have been ordered for delivery in early 2010.[89]

Builder Model Year Acquired Fleet size
Urban Transportation Development Corporation ICTS Mark I 1984–1986 114
Urban Transportation Development Corporation ICTS Mark I 1991 16
Urban Transportation Development Corporation ICTS Mark I 1994 20
Bombardier Transportation ART Mark II 2002 60
Bombardier Transportation ART Mark II 2009 48
Bombardier Transportation ART Mark II 2010 24
ROTEM EMU 2009 40

See also

References

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