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First official Canada Line service day numbers! Plus how to work the new ticket machines

First official Canada Line service day numbers! Plus how to work the new ticket machines

It’s Canada Line’s first official service day!

So far, we’ve had 9,000 trips between 5 to 9:30 a.m., then up to 23,000 by 12:40 p.m. and 33,000 by 2:15 p.m. Our media relations guy Drew Snider says a lot of tourists and families were on board today. He also mentioned that we finished yesterday at just under 100,000 trips, according to ProTransBC public affairs manager Jason Chan!

Feel free to share your first ride experiences in this post, and check this other post for photos and video of opening day.

New Canada Line ticket machines: how to use debit or credit cards with them

Canada Line ticket vending machines: hold your credit or debit card in the slot!
Canada Line ticket vending machines: hold your credit or debit card in the slot!

We’ve been hearing that people are having trouble using their debit and credit cards with the new Canada Line ticket vending machines (TVMs), so here’s some info to help.

Canada Line TVMs are among the first in the region to accept debit and credit cards with a “chip” in them — a special computer chip for greater security which banking regulations will soon require all cards to carry.

What this means is that there’s a new “method” for using your credit or debit cards, even the ones that don’t have the chip.

On SkyTrain TVMs and other point-of-sale devices, you’re often required to insert the card into a slot and then remove it quickly. With the new system, you must insert the card, then hold until the amber light comes on beside the slot. You can also hear a “click”, as the card is accepted. Then the card has to be pulled out quickly!

Basically, the orange light indicates that the device knows a card has been inserted. The device then reads the card as it is being removed (swiped). However, if the card is left in for too long, the device “assumes” it’s an invalid card and rejects the transaction.

Eventually, these systems will replace the “old” systems throughout the financial world — including TransLink and its family of companies. Instructions on using the system are displayed on the TVMs, and a knowledgeable and helpful Canada Line Attendant is usually nearby to assist.

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