This is a north-south route running in Richmond connecting Richmond–Brighouse Station and Steveston running primarily on Granville Avenue and Railway Avenue. It is a Frequent Transit Network (FTN) route with service 15 minutes or better for 15 hours or more of the day, seven days a week.
Northbound trips depart Steveston Exchange heading west on Chatham, north on 7th Avenue becoming Springmont Gate, north on Springmont Drive, east on Williams Road, north on Railway Avenue, east on Granville Avenue, and north on No. 3 Road to Richmond–Brighouse Station
Southbound trips depart Richmond–Brighouse Station heading south along No. 3 Road turning west onto Granville Avenue, south on Railway Avenue, west on Williams Road, south on Springmount Drive becoming Springmount Gate, becoming 7th Avenue, east on Chatham Street, north on 4th Avenue, east on Steveston Highway, south on No. 1 Road, west on Chatham Street to Steveston Exchange at Chatham & 2nd Avenue.
One weekday late-night Steveston trip terminates at Chatham Street & 3rd Avenue, bypassing 4th Avenue, Steveston Highway, and No. 1 Road.
1958 - Service introduced as 66 Railway, connecting Sexsmith Loop with Steveston
July 1961 - Evening weekday service revised to extend from Sexsmith Loop to Downtown Vancouver and ran as part of the 60 Richmond Express to eliminate the need to transfer between local Richmond routes and the number 60 bus. Routing near Steveston revised to operate via Steveston Highway, Fourth Avenue, and Chatham instead of via Steveston Highway and No. 1 Road[1]
August 1977 - Route renumbered from 66 to 406 and routing revised to serve Richmond Centre. Service to Sexsmith Loop only during AM peak hours; peak hour service extended to Vancouver[2]
May 1984 - Destination sign simplification: Service renamed from 406 Railway to 406 Railway/Vancouver[3]
Service as 406 Railway / Vancouver: Service continued into downtown via Alderbridge, Garden City, Sea Island Way, Oak Street Bridge, Marine Drive, Granville Street, Seymour, and Dunsmuir to the terminus at Burrard Station. Trips departed Burrard via Dunsmuir, Thurlow, Hastings, Howe to Granville Bridge and the reverse of northbound routing. Express service in the Vancouver section was drop-off only northbound and pick-up only southbound at select stops. [4]
December 1991 - Accessible service introduced on select trips[5]
April 1997 - Morning peak service revised to go via Garden City and Capstan to service Sexsmith Park & Ride[6]
April 2001 - Service discontinued. The portion between Richmond Centre and Steveston replaced by the 410 22nd Street Station/Railway following the introduction of 98 B-Line[7]
September 2018 - Service re-introduced to replace the Richmond–Brighouse Station and Steveston portion of the 410 22nd Street Station/Railway to improve route speed and reliability[8][9]
April 2019 - Brighouse Station terminus moved to Ackroyd Road & No. 3 Road
October 2020 - Brighouse Station terminus moved into Bus Mall following completion of construction work; service on Ackroyd Road discontinued
April 2021 - Discontinuation of most weekday Steveston trips via alternate route bypassing 4th Avenue, Steveston Highway, and No. 1 Road
June 2021 - Service renamed from 406 Brighouse Station/Steveston to 406 Railway Avenue
January 2022 - COVID-19 service adjustment: AM peak hour service reduced from every 8–12 minutes to every 12–15 minutes. PM peak hour service reduced from every 8–15 minutes to every 12–15 minutes
April 2024 - Last southbound trip daily advanced to depart 15 minutes later to meet the last SkyTrain arriving at Brighouse Station