SkyTrain Expo Line

System

SkyTrain

Type

Light metro rapid transit

Number of stations

24

Cities serviced

Vancouver, Burnaby,
New Westminster, Surrey

Termini

Waterfront
King George
Production Way–University

Operations

Opened

December 11, 1985

Owner

TransLink (1999–present)
BC Transit (1985–1999)

Operator

British Columbia
Rapid Transit Company

Rolling stock

UTDC ICTS Mark I
Bombardier ART Mark II
Bombardier Innovia Metro Mark III

Technical

Line length

36.5 km (22.6 mi)

Track gauge

1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)

Electrification

Third rail (Linear motor)

Operating speed

80 km/h (50 mph)

Line Diagram

The Expo Line is a SkyTrain line operated by British Columbia Rapid Transit Company Ltd., a subsidiary of TransLink in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Route Details

The Expo Line connects King George Station or Production Way–University Station to Waterfront Station. The line travels along an elevated guideway for most of its route with portions tunnelled and at-grade.

Departing from Waterfront, trains travel at grade underneath the Cordova Street extension, which covers over much of the ground area surrounding the line. The inbound (to Waterfront) and outbound (to King George or Production Way–University) tracks then weave over top each other at the Dunsmuir Tunnel portal, with inbound above and outbound below. Trains pass through the two underground stations on the line: Burrard and Granville, with Granville being the deepest station on the line at approximately 25 meters below ground. Leaving Granville, the two tracks weave to side-by-side once leaving the Dunsmuir Tunnel and into Stadium–Chinatown Station. Trains then weave underneath the Dunsmuir and Georgia Viaducts, before proceeding slow along a straight stretch adjacent to Science World and False Creek, providing a panoramic view of the Downtown Vancouver skyline. Trains then curve into Main Street–Science World. Departing Main Street–Science World, trains travel along the oldest section of guideway before the guideway runs adjacent to the Grandview Cut before curving over it, entering Commercial-Broadway Station, one of the busiest stations on the system.

Leaving Commercial–Broadway and approaching Nanaimo, the line parallels the old BC Electric Railway Central Park Line. From Nanaimo, trains travel at grade on the old right-of-way of the Central Park Line before the guideway elevates again west of Joyce–Collingwood. Continuing along the Central Park Line right-of-way, the line enters Burnaby through one of the most densely populated areas of Burnaby. The line then travels at-grade west of Edmonds Station and then below the BC Hydro building and cuts through the Operations and Maintenance Centre, where trains on both the Expo and Millennium lines are controlled and maintained. The line then bends into New Westminster before going underground for a brief moment into Columbia Station. From here, trains split to either the branch into Surrey or continuing into New Westminster and Burnaby.

Travelling towards King George, trains pass over SkyBridge, which until 2017 was the world's longest transit-only suspension bridge. At this point, trains travel at the highest point of the line at 50 meters before descending into Scott Road Station. Continuing from Scott Road, the line parallels King George Boulevard and enters the Whalley area of Surrey, before crossing over King George Boulevard to the terminus station of King George.

Travelling towards Production Way–University, trains weave underneath the viaduct leading towards the SkyBridge and enter a tunnel travelling underneath Columbia Street which exits paralleling Columbia Street and the Fraser River, providing panoramic views of New Westminster, Coquitlam, and Surrey. The line then parallels the Burlington North Santa Fe (BNSF) yard and tracks before bending over Brunette Avenue and running parallel to the Trans-Canada Highway, before crossing over it towards North Road, where trains slowly curve into Lougheed Town Centre. Departing Lougheed Town Centre, trains travel parallel to Lougheed Highway before approaching the terminus of Production Way–University.

History

Prior to construction and planning, there were plans during the construction of the Trans-Canada Highway to extend into Vancouver and provide easy freeway access through Downtown Vancouver and over the Burrard Inlet towards the North Shore. In anticipation of the infrastructure project, the City of Vancouver demolished sections of Hogan's Alley, a predominantly African-Canadian community, and parts of Chinatown for the construction of the Dunsmuir and Georgia Viaducts. However, the citizens of Vancouver opposed the infrastructure project, citing environmental reasons and the protection of heritage neighbourhoods, as most of Chinatown, Gastown, and Strathcona would be cleared to make way for the freeway, in addition to portions of downtown being demolished for the construction of a freeway right-of-way.

In response to the opposition of freeways, the City of Vancouver opted in for rapid transit. Initial planning and studies in the 1970s called for an extensive light rail system weaving around Downtown Vancouver and into other populated areas in Vancouver.

At the same time in Ontario, the Urban Transportation Development Corporation, then a Crown corporation, developed and perfected a new rapid transit technology called "Intermediate Capacity Transit System". The need for the construction of rapid transit was high and Vancouver opted in to be the first city to use the new technology. Under the provincial government headed by Bill Bennett and the Social Credit Party, Vancouver was to host the World's Fair in 1986. The ALRT Line (Advanced Light Rail Technology, later renamed to SkyTrain), was to be a showcase of Ontario and Canada at Expo 86.

In 1983, a demonstration line opened and travelled 1 kilometre east along Terminal Avenue from Main Street Station. Two trains were delivered from Kingston, Ontario numbered BC1 and BC2 (these cars would later return to Ontario, with one car being converted to be a beta Mark II car). On December 11, 1985, the line opened, travelling from Waterfront to New Westminster in a soft opening with full service commencing on January 3, 1986. The line was extended to Columbia Station in 1989 and

over the SkyBridge to Scott Road in Surrey in 1990. The line was extended one last time to King George in 1994.

After the Millennium Line opened, the name "Expo Line" was used to differentiate between the two lines.

In 2016, the line was extended to Production Way–University, taking over Millennium Line service at Sapperton and Braid stations. Lougheed Town Centre and Production Way-University would also take on the Expo Line branding in addition to serving the Millennium Line.

Train2Main

Number of stations

6

Cities serviced

Vancouver

Termini

Waterfront
Commercial–Broadway

Operations

Opened

March 30, 2014

Closed

December 6, 2014

Rolling stock

Bombardier ART Mark II

On March 30, 2014, the Train2Main shuttle service was introduced as part of the station upgrades at Main Street–Science World Station^[1]. Due to a shorter platform during the construction works, regular four and six-car trains on the Expo and Millennium lines could not stop at the station. To compensate for the shortened platform length and to maintain service at Main Street–Science World Station, two-car trains were used between Waterfront Station and Commercial–Broadway Station, stopping at all stations. Regular Expo and Millennium line trains maintained regular service but skipped Main Street–Science World Station.

Passengers that were travelling from Main Street–Science World had to wait for the shuttle train, which ran approximately every 10 to 12 minutes. The shuttle service used 2001 and 2009 Bombardier ART Mark II cars.

The Train2Main was the compromising solution to keeping the station open and for construction work to continue and to start in various parts of the station, which mostly included demolition work. Alternatively, the entire station could've been closed but would've caused major inconveniences to passengers.

On December 6, the shuttle service ended after platform work was complete, with regular train service resuming.

Future Extension

Presently, there are plans to extend the Expo Line from King George to Langley Centre^[2]^[3]. The 16-km extension along Fraser Highway is expected to be completed by 2028. There are 8 planned stations:

140 Street
152 Street
160 Street
164 Street
182 Street
190 Street
196 Street
Langley Centre

There will also be provisions for a future station at 148 Street.

The extension project will also include the procurement of 55 additional SkyTrain cars, improvements to King George Station and bus exchange upgrades at Langley Centre, and expansion work at existing maintenance facilities or the construction of new maintenance facilities. Travel times will be approximately 22 minutes from King George to Langley Centre.

With the planned extension of the Expo Line along Fraser Highway, the proposed Fraser Highway B-Line was cancelled as B-Line infrastructure investments would not be cost-effective along the corridor. The planned SkyTrain extension came a few weeks after the proposed light rail Surrey–Newton–Guildford Line was cancelled.

On July 9, 2021, an announcement was made by the federal government for a commitment of $1.3 billion for the Surrey-Langley SkyTrain Project. The funding is expected to cover the eight stations, three bus exchanges, as well as 30 SkyTrain cars.^[4]

Yard Expansion

An announcement was made on March 11, 2021, regarding a new storage facility for Expo and Millennium Line trains. This facility, nicknamed the Crane Warehouse, is located at 600-block North Road adjacent to the BNSF holding yard. The Warehouse was formerly used for long-term storage of retired transit buses in case they were needed for service in future service expansions.

As part of the project, trains near the new storage and maintenance facility had to alternate between terminating at Braid or continuing to Production Way–University due to single-tracking. This resulted in a mixed operation in which both platforms at Braid had trains going towards Waterfront, with the Braid short-turn trains at Platform 2 and trains originating from Production Way–University at Platform 1. This pattern change started on February 25, 2024 (although it was originally scheduled for February 10). The new yard is expected to open in approximately 2027.

Service Information

Service on the Expo Line runs 7 days a week.

Service Frequency

	Combined Service (Waterfront to Columbia)	Waterfront to King George	Waterfront to Production Way–University
Peak Hours	2-3 mins.*	2-5 mins.*	6-7 mins.*
Midday	3 mins.	6 mins.	6 mins.
Evening	3-5 mins.	6-8 mins.	6-8 mins.
Late Night	4-5 mins.	8-10 mins.	8-10 mins.
Early Saturdays and Sundays/Holidays	4 mins.	8 mins.	8 mins.
Saturdays and Sundays/Holidays	3 mins.	6 mins.	6 mins.

* Due to high-frequency service, minor delays, and shuttle train service between Waterfront and Commercial–Broadway (to Waterfront only) during the AM peak, the frequency can be 1 minute or better with minor inconsistencies.

First and Last Trains

Outbound Service

Waterfront to King George
	First Train	Last Train	Extra Early Trips from Edmonds
Weekdays	5:32 a.m.	1:16 a.m.	5:22 a.m.
Saturdays	6:48 a.m.	1:16 a.m.	6:16 a.m.
Sundays/Holidays	7:48 a.m.	12:16 a.m.	7:16 a.m.

Waterfront to Production Way–University
	First Train	Last Train	Extra Early Trips from Edmonds	Last Train to Lougheed Town Centre*
Weekdays	5:37 a.m.	12:33 a.m. *12:44 a.m. on Fridays*	5:13 a.m.	1:11 a.m.
Saturdays	6:44 a.m.	12:40 a.m.	6:44 a.m.	1:11 a.m.
Sundays/Holidays	7:44 a.m.	11:33 p.m.	7:44 a.m.	12:11 a.m.

* Late night service terminate at Lougheed Town Centre after the last Production Way–University train.

Inbound Service

King George to Waterfront
	First Train	Last Train	Last Train to New Westminster*
Weekdays	5:08 a.m.	12:38 a.m.	1:28 a.m.
Saturdays	6:08 a.m.	12:38 a.m.	1:28 a.m.
Sundays/Holidays	7:08 a.m.	11:38 p.m.	12:28 a.m.

* Late night service terminate at New Westminster after the last Waterfront train.

Production Way–University to Waterfront
	First Train	Last Train	Last Train to New Westminster*
Weekdays	5:10 a.m.	12:31 a.m. *12:30 a.m. on Fridays*	1:19 a.m.
Saturdays	6:11 a.m.	12:30 a.m.	1:26 a.m.
Sundays/Holidays	7:11 a.m.	11:31 p.m.	12:19 a.m.

* Late night service terminate at New Westminster after the last Waterfront train.

AM Peak Shuttle Service

During AM peak hours, a one-way shuttle service runs between Commercial–Broadway and Waterfront using two-car 2001 Bombardier ART Mark II and 2009 Bombardier ART Mark II units. Occasionally, Bombardier Innovia Metro Mark III units are used.

Trains run not in service from Waterfront to Commercial–Broadway. Shuttle trains run in between trains that originate from either King George or Production Way–University. There are 14 scheduled shuttle trips running about every 9 minutes.

After completing the morning service, the trains run in-service from Waterfront to Edmonds, where they are stored at the yard until the PM peak.

Due to low ridership associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, this shuttle service is currently suspended. However, the departures remained listed on timetables until they were removed in September 2021.

Commercial–Broadway to Waterfront
	First Train	Last Train
AM Peak Hours	7:18 a.m.	9:23 a.m.

Stations

There are 24 stations on the Expo Line. All stations are wheelchair accessible and all stations allow bikes (except Metrotown), with restrictions depending on travel direction during peak hours.

Outbound trains bound for both King George and Production Way–University.

Station Name	City	Fare Zone	Date Opened	Transfers	Notes
	Vancouver	1	December 11, 1985	Canada Line SeaBus West Coast Express R5 Hastings St	^{[Note 1]}
				R5 Hastings St
				Canada Line (at Vancouver City Centre)	Made accessible in 2006
					Opened as Stadium Station
			June 27, 1983		Opened as Main Street Station on ALRT demonstration line Rebuilt 2013–2015
			December 11, 1985	Millennium Line 99 B-Line	Opened as Broadway Station^{[Note 2]}^{[Note 3]}


				R4 41st Ave	Opened as Joyce Station Rebuilt 2016–2019
	Burnaby	2
					Rebuilt 2015–2018


	New Westminster
					Terminus station from 1985 to 1989 Rebuilt in 2012 and 2015–2016
			February 14, 1989		Terminus station from 1989 to 1990 Called Fourth Street Station during planning
King George Branch
	Surrey	3	March 16, 1990	R6 Scott Rd	Terminus station from 1990 to 1994
			March 28, 1994		Called 108 Avenue Station during planning
				R1 King George Blvd
				R1 King George Blvd
Production Way–University Branch
	New Westminster	2	January 2, 2002		Millennium Line station from 2002 to 2016
	New Westminster		January 2, 2002		Millennium Line station from 2002 to 2016
	Burnaby		August 31, 2002	Millennium Line
	Burnaby		August 31, 2002	Millennium Line

Notes

↑ Station opened in 1914 as a CP Rail station. The SeaBus terminal portion of the station opened on June 17, 1977; Expo Line platforms December 11, 1985; West Coast Express platforms on November 1, 1995; Canada Line platforms on August 17, 2009.
↑ Broadway Station is now Commercial–Broadway Station Platforms 3 and 4. Platforms 1 and 2 were part of Commercial Drive Station.
↑ Platforms 1 and 2 opened on August 31, 2002 as part of Commercial Drive Station

References

↑ Going to Main Street-Science World? Look for the Train2Main buzzer.translink.ca, retrieved 2-2-2018
↑ TransLink aiming to open new 16-km SkyTrain in Surrey by 2025 dailyhive.com, retrieved 09-12-2018
↑ https://www.translink.ca/-/media/Documents/about_translink/governance_and_board/council_minutes_and_reports/2018/december/Agenda--Mayors-Council-PUBLIC-MTG--Dec-13-FINAL.PDF Mayors' Council Public Meeting Agenda – December 13, 2018] translink.ca, retrieved 09-12-2018
↑ Federal government providing up to $1.3 billion for Surrey-Langley SkyTrain extension, ctvnews.ca, retrieved 07-09-2021

v·d·e

Operations

Lines

Rolling stock

1984 UTDC ICTS Mark I –

1985 UTDC ICTS Mark I –

1991 UTDC ICTS Mark I –

1995 Bombardier ICTS Mark I –

2001 Bombardier ART Mark II –

2008 Hyundai Rotem EMU –

2009 Bombardier ART Mark II –

2015 Bombardier Innovia Metro Mark III –

2018 Bombardier Innovia Metro Mark III –

2019 Hyundai Rotem EMU

Yards

Operations and Maintenance Centre –

Coquitlam Maintenance Centre –

Canada Line Operations and Maintenance Centre

Stations

Waterfront – Vancouver City Centre – Yaletown–Roundhouse – Olympic Village –

Broadway–City Hall – King Edward –

Oakridge–41st Avenue – Langara–49th Avenue – Marine Drive –

Bridgeport – Capstan Way – Aberdeen – Lansdowne – Richmond–Brighouse

Airport branch ← Towards Waterfront –

Bridgeport – Templeton – Sea Island Centre – YVR–Airport

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

Production Way branch ← Towards Waterfront –

Columbia – Sapperton – Braid –

Lougheed Town Centre –

Production Way–University

Arbutus – South Granville – Oak–VGH –

Broadway–City Hall – Mount Pleasant – Great Northern Way–Emily Carr – VCC–Clark –

Commercial–Broadway – Renfrew – Rupert – Gilmore – Brentwood Town Centre – Holdom – Sperling–Burnaby Lake – Lake City Way –

Production Way–University –

Lougheed Town Centre – Burquitlam –

Moody Centre – Inlet Centre –

Coquitlam Central – Lincoln – Lafarge Lake–Douglas

TransLink
Transit Services

Fare Information
– Cash Fares – Fare Structure – Universal Pass (U-Pass) – West Coast Express Fares
Plans and Projects
Expo Line Fraser Highway Extension – Millennium Line Broadway Extension – Pattullo Bridge Replacement
Other Divisions
Cycling Network – Roads and Bridges – Transit Police

[5] Station opened in 1914 as a CP Rail station. The SeaBus terminal portion of the station opened on June 17, 1977; Expo Line platforms December 11, 1985; West Coast Express platforms on November 1, 1995; Canada Line platforms on August 17, 2009.

[6] Broadway Station is now Commercial–Broadway Station Platforms 3 and 4. Platforms 1 and 2 were part of Commercial Drive Station.

[7] Platforms 1 and 2 opened on August 31, 2002 as part of Commercial Drive Station

[1] Going to Main Street-Science World? Look for the Train2Main buzzer.translink.ca, retrieved 2-2-2018

[2] TransLink aiming to open new 16-km SkyTrain in Surrey by 2025 dailyhive.com, retrieved 09-12-2018

[3] ttps://www.translink.ca/-/media/Documents/about_translink/governance_and_board/council_minutes_and_reports/2018/december/Agenda--Mayors-Council-PUBLIC-MTG--Dec-13-FINAL.PDF Mayors' Council Public Meeting Agenda – December 13, 2018] translink.ca, retrieved 09-12-2018

[4] Federal government providing up to $1.3 billion for Surrey-Langley SkyTrain extension, ctvnews.ca, retrieved 07-09-2021

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[Note 1]

[Note 2]

[Note 3]

SkyTrain Expo Line

Contents

Route Details