Canada Line


The Canada Line is a rapid transit line in Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, that is part of the SkyTrain system. The line is owned by TransLink and InTransitBC and is operated by ProTrans BC. Coloured turquoise on route maps, it operates as an airport rail link between Vancouver, Richmond, and the Vancouver International Airport. The line comprises 16 stations and of track; the main line runs from Vancouver to Richmond while a spur line from Bridgeport station connects to the airport. It opened on August 17, 2009, ahead of the 2010 Winter Olympics.
The Canada Line was anticipated to have 100,000 boardings per day in 2013 and 142,000 boardings per day by 2021, but it has consistently exceeded early targets. Ridership has grown steadily since opening day, with average ridership of 83,000 per day in September 2009, 105,000 per day in March 2010, and over 136,000 passengers per weekday in June 2011. During the 17 days of the 2010 Winter Olympics, the line carried an average of 228,190 passengers per day.
Governance of the project was through Canada Line Rapid Transit Inc., formerly RAV Project Management Ltd.. The line was built by SNC-Lavalin, and InTransitBC is under contract with TransLink to manage the line for its first 35 years, until 2044. The Canada Line is operationally independent from British Columbia Rapid Transit Company, which operates SkyTrain's Expo and Millennium lines but is considered a part of the SkyTrain network. Like the other two SkyTrain lines in Metro Vancouver, it is also light metro rapid transit, using fully automated trains on grade-separated guideways. However, the trains are powered by conventional motors with third rail electrical pickup rather than the linear induction system used on the other SkyTrain lines.

Route

The Canada Line begins in Downtown Vancouver at Waterfront station in a cut-and-cover subway tunnel beneath Granville Street. It quickly goes into twin-bored tunnels, heading southwest beneath Granville Street, then curving southeast to follow Davie Street through Yaletown. The tunnels then dive deeper to pass below False Creek before rising back up to Olympic Village station. There, the line transitions back to a cut-and-cover tunnel, heading south under Cambie Street. This section has some portions where the two sets of tracks are stacked vertically. The line emerges from the ground just south of 64th Avenue, climbing to an elevated guideway.
The line continues elevated across the North Arm Bridge over the North Arm of the Fraser River, leaving Vancouver and entering Richmond. Just beyond Bridgeport station at a flying junction, the line splits, with the Richmond branch heading south on elevated tracks along No. 3 Road and terminating at Richmond–Brighouse station. The airport branch turns west and crosses the Middle Arm Bridge over the Middle Arm of the Fraser River, connecting to stations on Sea Island and terminating at YVR–Airport station. Portions of the airport branch are at grade in order to accommodate a future elevated taxiway for aircraft over the line. Both branches narrow to a single track as they approach their respective terminus stations. Just before Bridgeport station is the Operations and Maintenance Centre facility, which houses Canada Line trains that are not in use.

Stations

Station construction was designed as a two-stage process. Sixteen original stations opened at the same time as the line did. Three additional stations are planned, and may be built in the future. The stations are listed below.
Each Canada Line station is slightly different in appearance, designed to blend in with the surrounding neighbourhood. For example, Langara–49th Avenue station is designed to fit into the area's low-density residential neighbourhood.
The five busiest stations have platforms long, while the rest of the stations have platforms that can be easily extended to 50 metres. The termini at YVR–Airport and Richmond–Brighouse stations are single-tracked, whereas the Waterfront station terminus is double-tracked. The double-tracking is necessary to accommodate the three-minute headways between trains on the Waterfront–Bridgeport portion of the line. King Edward station is the only station with a stacked configuration, and Broadway–City Hall station is the only station with a double-height ceiling over the platforms. Vancouver City Centre station is linked to Pacific Centre mall and Vancouver Centre Mall, in addition to having street level access. All direct transfers to the Expo and Millennium Lines must be made at Waterfront station; there is no direct connection from Vancouver City Centre station to Granville station. However, it is possible to transfer between those two stations via a short walk through Pacific Centre or Vancouver Centre Mall.
Stations were configured to allow for the future installation of fare gates, and received fare gates in 2013 as part of full implementation throughout all SkyTrain stations. Every station has an up escalator and an elevator, but only the three terminal stations have down escalators.
Until late 2019, six stations were equipped with self-service flight check-in kiosks which allowed customers to check into their flights at Vancouver International Airport while at these stations.

Additional stations

Provisions have been made to allow for the addition of the following infill stations in the future:
  • 33rd Avenue
  • 57th Avenue
  • : The future of a 57th Avenue in Vancouver is not fully known at this time. The original plan was that one day a station could be built, but new documents and talk between TransLink and the City of Vancouver raise the possibility of it never happening. The station was part of the broad policy statement adopted in 2014 by city council for the redevelopment of the Pearson Dogwood lands. But in June 2017 Susan Haid, city assistant director of planning for Vancouver South, submitted a report to Vancouver council stating that "though it is desirable to achieve a future station at 57th Avenue there are a number of key challenges," Haid wrote in her report. "Currently, the station is not considered in regional transportation plans and is not considered a regional priority such as the Broadway Corridor line." Haid also added to her report that, "Should the station not be attainable in the long-term future, the financial contribution towards a future station would be re-allocated to address the amenity priorities identified for Pearson Dogwood and those in and around the Cambie Corridor consistent with the respective public benefit strategies."
  • YVR Terminal 3
  • : The master plan for the Vancouver International Airport for 2027 indicates that this station would be built alongside the airport's proposed Northeast Terminal expansion.

    Transit connections

Many transit services connect with the Canada Line and form an important part of the service. With the opening of the line, most bus routes in Richmond, and connecting services from White Rock, Tsawwassen, and Ladner, doubled their service frequency. Waterfront station provides connections to the R5 Hastings St, Expo Line, West Coast Express, and SeaBus. Broadway–City Hall provides a connection to the 99 B-Line service.
There are currently only two routes serving Vancouver International Airport: the N10 NightBus, running parallel to the Canada Line along Granville Street, and route 412, running between Airport South and Bridgeport station. Riders on these bus routes are not subject to the YVR AddFare. The Airport Station exchange was downgraded to a regular bus stop on September 7, 2009, a few weeks after the opening of the line. Bus routes that used this loop were discontinued, short-turned, or redirected to Bridgeport station.
Work began in May 2021 to extend the Millennium Line from VCC–Clark station west along Broadway to the new Arbutus station, allowing for a transfer to the Canada Line at Broadway–City Hall station. As indicated in material presented by the City of Vancouver at public meetings in early 2006, this station was designed with such a future extension in mind. A "knock-out" panel was installed in the concourse that would facilitate construction of a connection between the station and a Broadway-corridor SkyTrain extension.
The Canada Line uses the same fare system as the rest of the transit system managed by TransLink, with two exceptions:
  • The YVR AddFare, started in January 2010, is a surcharge that applies to some passengers leaving the airport and travelling eastbound to Bridgeport station and beyond. Passengers headed away from the airport must pay a $5 AddFare on top of the regular fare to leave the Sea Island stations unless they are travelling on a monthly pass; or a DayPass or a single-use Compass Ticket that was not purchased on Sea Island.
  • Travel between the Sea Island stations is free to everyone. There is no additional fare for passengers travelling toward the airport. Such trips require a special Sea Island ticket that is free to obtain at any ticket machine at the Sea Island stations. These tickets are not valid for tapping out at other stations; an exit ticket is required for Sea Island ticketholders exiting at any station outside of Sea Island.
The Canada Line operates on a "Fare Paid Zone" system. Passengers are required by law to possess a valid fare when they are in Fare Paid Zones. Fare Paid Zones are clearly marked, and fares can be bought from Compass Vending Machines at all stations. Fare inspections are mostly conducted by the South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority Police Service. Passengers who fail to pay the fare or do not have a valid fare may be fined $173 and/or removed from the station or train.
Canada Line attendants are the customer service staff for the Canada Line. They are easily identifiable by their green uniforms. They provide customer service, troubleshoot certain problems with the trains, observe and report safety issues, and check fares.