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Next generation of SkyTrain cars take shape

Next generation of SkyTrain cars take shape

MKV SkyTrain being manufactured
Darren Woodworth/TransLink, Alstom

TransLink’s new SkyTrain cars are taking shape at a Canadian manufacturing factory in Quebec.

The 205 new cars (our largest order ever) will allow us to retire older trains, enhance fleet quality, and keep service reliable for customers.

The incoming Mark V (MKV) trains will make SkyTrain better and more convenient for customers, with added amenities for people using mobility devices, strollers, and bicycles.

With the first cars set to arrive in Metro Vancouver late next year, here’s a look at some of them being built:

Back end of a MK5 train under construction
Darren Woodworth/TransLink, Alstom
Top of a Mark V train under construction at manufacturing factory.
Darren Woodworth/TransLink, Alstom

What’s inside

The MKV trains will be our largest vehicles yet. They will consist of five-car sets, all internally open-ended, with walk-through carriages in the same style as our MKIII trains.

Late last year, we got a sneak peek from our manufacturer of what the final trains will look like.

The digital line diagram on board the Mark 5 mockup
Alex Jackson/TransLink
The bench seats on board the Mark 5 mockup
Alex Jackson/TransLink
The exterior of the Mark 5 mockup
Alex Jackson/TransLink
The Mark 5 mockup next to a Mark I car
Alex Jackson/TransLink

Customer comfort

The new MKV cars will provide customers with a safe and comfortable experience using transit. They have mostly forward-facing seating and will also include features like more space for bikes, luggage, and leaning pads.

Accessibility for our customers is at the forefront of everything we do.

The new MKV digital interior information displays will provide riders with improved onboard transit alerts.

New strip indicator lights at the doors will assist people who are deaf or hard of hearing.

As with our existing fleet, the MKVs will continue operating with door chimes and on-train announcements to assist customers who are blind or partially sighted.

Breaking it down

  • 95 new SkyTrain cars allowing for a phased retirement of our first-generation MKI vehicles, which entered service in 1985.
  • 110 new SkyTrain cars will improve capacity on the Expo and Millennium Lines, and help support expansion for the Broadway Subway.
  • An option for additional cars to support Surrey Langley SkyTrain.

The first new SkyTrain cars are expected to arrive late next year. After passing all their testing, you might see some of the cars in service in 2024, with the full fleet on our system by late 2028.

Dan Mountain

I'm just a guy who hates bios, but likes trains... and buses... and SeaBuses.

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