SkyTrain (Vancouver)

SkyTrain
Overview
OwnerProvince of British Columbia
LocaleMetro Vancouver, British Columbia
Transit typeMedium-capacity rapid transit system
Number of lines3
Number of stations53 (6 under construction) (List of stations)
Daily ridership456,300 (weekdays, Q2 2024)[1]
Annual ridership141,339,300 (2023)[2]
WebsiteTransLink
Operation
Began operationDecember 11, 1985; 38 years ago (1985-12-11)[3]
Operator(s)TransLink
CharacterElevated, underground, and at-grade
Number of vehicles298
Train length2-, 4- or 6-car trainsets
Headway
  • 2–10 minutes (Expo and Millennium Lines)
  • 3–20 minutes (Canada Line)
Technical
System length
  • 79.6 km (49.5 mi)[4]
  • 5.7 km (3.5 mi) under construction[5]
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in) standard gauge
Electrification650 V DC third rail linear induction (Expo and Millennium Lines)
750 V DC third rail conventional traction motors (Canada Line)
Average speed
  • 40 km/h (25 mph) (Expo and Millennium Lines)[6]
  • 32 km/h (20 mph) (Canada Line)[6]
Top speed80 km/h (50 mph)[7][8]
System map
Map
Arbutus (2027)
Waterfront
South Granville (2027)
Burrard
Oak–VGH (2027)
Vancouver City Centre
Yaletown–Roundhouse
Granville
Olympic Village
Stadium–Chinatown
Broadway–
Main Street–
Science World
Amtrak
City Hall ( 2027)
Mount Pleasant (2027)
King Edward
Great Northern
Way–Emily Carr
(2027)
VCC–Clark
Oakridge–
41st Avenue
Commercial–
Broadway
Renfrew
Langara–49th Avenue
Rupert
Nanaimo
Marine Drive
29th Avenue
Zone 1
Zone 2
Joyce–
Collingwood
Operations and
Maintenance Centre
Bridgeport
Patterson
Metrotown
Templeton
Royal Oak
Sea Island Centre
Gilmore
Vancouver International Airport YVR–Airport
Brentwood
Town Centre
Capstan (2024)
Holdom
Aberdeen
Sperling–
Burnaby Lake
Lansdowne
Lake City Way
Richmond–Brighouse
Production Way–
University
Edmonds
Lougheed
Town Centre
Edmonds Yard
22nd Street
future storage facility
New Westminster
Braid
Columbia
Sapperton
Zone 2
Zone 3
Scott Road
Burquitlam
Gateway
Surrey Central
Moody Centre
King George
Inlet Centre
Green Timbers (2028)
vehicle storage facility
152 Street (2028)
Coquitlam
Central
Fleetwood (2028)
Lincoln
Bakerview–166 Street (2028)
Lafarge Lake–
Douglas
Hillcrest–184 Street (2028)
Clayton (2028)
Willowbrook (2028)
Langley City Centre (2028)
Key
Canada Line
Expo Line
Handicapped/disabled access All stations are accessible
Millennium Line

SkyTrain is the medium-capacity rapid transit system serving the Metro Vancouver region in British Columbia, Canada.[9] SkyTrain has 79.6 km (49.5 mi) of track and uses fully automated trains on grade-separated tracks running on underground and elevated guideways, allowing SkyTrain to hold consistently high on-time reliability.[4][10] In 2023, the system had a ridership of 141,339,300, or about 456,300 per weekday as of the second quarter of 2024.

The name "SkyTrain" was coined for the system during Expo 86 because the first line (Expo) principally runs on elevated guideway outside of Downtown Vancouver, providing panoramic views of the metropolitan area. SkyTrain uses the world's third-longest cable-supported transit-only bridge, known as SkyBridge, to cross the Fraser River.[11]

With the opening of the Evergreen Extension on December 2, 2016, SkyTrain became the longest rapid transit system in Canada and the longest fully automated driverless system in the world.[12] The total lengths of the automated lines of the Shanghai Metro,[13] Singapore MRT, Kuala Lumpur Rapid KL and Dubai Metro have since surpassed those of SkyTrain.[14]

SkyTrain has 53 stations served by three lines: the Expo Line, the Millennium Line, and the Canada Line. The Expo and Millennium Lines are operated by British Columbia Rapid Transit Company under contract from TransLink (originally BC Transit), a regional government transportation agency. The Canada Line is operated on the same principles by the private concessionaire ProTrans BC under contract to TransLink and is an integrated part of the regional transport system. SkyTrain uses a fare system shared with other local transit services and is policed by the Metro Vancouver Transit Police. SkyTrain attendants (STAs) provide first aid, emergency response, directions and customer service, inspect fares, monitor train faults, and operate the trains manually if necessary.

  1. ^ "Transit Ridership Report Second Quarter 2024" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. September 3, 2024. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  2. ^ "Transit Ridership Report Fourth Quarter 2023" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. March 4, 2024. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  3. ^ "The Buzzer – 2011-01-14". TransLink. January 14, 2011. Archived from the original on October 12, 2013. Retrieved July 23, 2013.
  4. ^ a b "Evergreen Extension opening today". NEWS 1130. December 2, 2016. Archived from the original on August 31, 2017. Retrieved May 16, 2017.
  5. ^ "Broadway Subway Project – Government of British Columbia". Retrieved July 8, 2021.
  6. ^ a b "Rail: Key Characteristics by line". TransLink. 2022. Archived from the original on November 28, 2023. Retrieved December 7, 2023.
  7. ^ "Quick Facts". Archived from the original on August 6, 2019. Retrieved November 27, 2016.
  8. ^ "Canada Line Fact Sheet The Canada Line Vehicle" (PDF). canadaline.ca (TransLink). December 14, 2007. p. 2. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 26, 2009. Retrieved June 16, 2015.
  9. ^ "SkyTrain". TransLink. November 17, 2011. Archived from the original on July 15, 2016. Retrieved August 22, 2009.
  10. ^ "Expo Line Upgrades Improve Communications". TransLink. October 11, 2011. Archived from the original on December 12, 2011. Retrieved November 17, 2011.
  11. ^ "Skytrain Bridge". Buckland & Taylor Ltd. Archived from the original on July 6, 2008. Retrieved August 22, 2009.
  12. ^ Slattery, Jill (December 1, 2016). "Evergreen SkyTrain Line launched". Global News. Archived from the original on December 3, 2016. Retrieved December 2, 2016.
  13. ^ "Shanghai opens two new lines on longest metro in world". The Independent. December 31, 2021. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
  14. ^ Briginshaw, David (July 20, 2016). "Automated metros set to reach 2200 km by 2025". Archived from the original on April 15, 2018. Retrieved May 16, 2018.