Next generation of SkyTrain cars take shape
Next generation of SkyTrain cars take shape
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:
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.
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.
I would suggest not having windows that open. Someone always opens the window in the air conditioned trains allowing all the cold air out and hot air in.
That might not be a good thing during an emergency, such as a fire on board or some jackass sets off bear spray or something like that.
Transit windows (busses and skytrain) already have emergency pop-out capability whether or not they can be opened. So safety in a real emergency is not an issue.
Being forced to pop the window out vs opening the window will result in a train being out of service day a while. And some times people open windows not for cooling but to deal with other passenger stink or for air flow or comfort from anxiety. So openable windows is still my preference.
Or when the air conditioning doesn’t work
No zoo
Not sure how having windows is a concern when literally all of the SkyTrain doors open every couple minutes anyway? There’s more than one reason people want to have the windows open. I’ve been opening SkyTrain windows for the last couple years now, for ventilation to try to reudce chances of COVID infection.
There should be a small noise alarm when opening the window instead.
You can get up and close them again. You just need to speak up that’s what I do. If they don’t listen press silent alarm
Also I to believe that most of all the new skytrains will all be an excellent quality and they are going to have the same air condition the same style the same kind they’re all going to be part of the Bombardier family!
The most excellent fact about all the newer sky trains
They pretty much can haul more passengers
Maybe more of my ideas for PC rapid transit is to design the same kind of the original skytrain vehicles built in 1985
I wish they can build different kinds of the skytrain vehicles What is the mark one sound
Why are they built in Quebec and not in BC? I remember earlier cars were built in Burnaby.
Original Mark 1 skytrain vehicles were built in Kingston Ontario.
Some later cars were assembled in BC but that was more of a political decision than an engineering/manufacturing one.
You might be surprised to learn that some if the later vehicles were built in Mexico.
I read some were made in S. Korea 😲
Canada line trains were built in a Korea
gonna take a wild guess and guess its the south one.
Yes, but Quebec won’t let our gas through their province. Should have bought them elsewhere
All lines except the Canada line run on what was proprietary Bombardier technology. Alsthom, which bought Bombardier transport has established factories in ON and QC but not in BC. Building or reactivating an old factory for a single order would just push up the per unit price for no reason other than politics
Quebec is the best province
Look great. Is white the new colour because I really like the current grey blue colour on the mk3.
Colour scheme will be that of the MKIII vehicles.
Those separatists can go F themselves.
please, PLEASE, leave at least 1 MK1 car to run at least once a week for nostalgia reasons. I will miss them oh so much :(
It won’t be the same old skytrain without the MK1 trains.
Thank god for that those things are so bloody loud, I won’t miss them.
Yes I also agree on this.Quebec wants to be on their own ,beat it .we are sick of supporting your lame asses out here in B.C.
Maybe you morons should have selected a car that fits the existing stations and the shops rather than have taxpayers have to fit the bill for retrofitting everything.
They do fit the existing station platform lengths.
Original Mark 1 skytrain vehicles were built in Kingston Ontario.
Some later cars were assembled in BC but that was more of a political decision than an engineering/manufacturing one.
You might be surprised to learn that some of the later vehicles were built in Mexico.
Cool!
Change the seat layout to what they have in Asia that’s more efficient for people to get in and out. And optimize the way people and still stand in the asiles and hold on.
Seats along the window, parallel lines instead of the current arrangement of horizontal/perpendicular seats.
Why skip “Mark IV”? Are you calling it “Mark V” just to sound more exciting? I don’t like the name.
People get confused as the mkIIIs all are numbered in the 400s so this is to eliminate confusion as the new cars will be numbered starting in the 500s
Keep a Mk I for historical purposes and charter runs!!
Some of the orginal skytrain cars are on their last legs judging from the noise eminating from the undercarriage and the uncontrollable swaying of the car. Standing passengers aren’t safe.
Okay new carts are good but stop raising the prices for getting on the bus an skytrain!!
Will they be any less deafening?
Actually they have made them intentionally louder, so you can hear them coming. This is for safety reasons. They have also added a freight train horn that will blast 3 times as the train enters each station to alert patrons of the incoming hazard.
For emergency messages, there should be a screen somewhere for Deaf and HoH people to read what is happening. Many times I’ve heard a message where we have to exit the train and board a different one and I think of my Deaf brother who would be so confused at a time like that
This thread is toxic af. Is this Reddit?
Cars will no longer be built in Kingston, the whole contract is being built in La Pocatiere,a BIG let down for Kingston and it’s employees as we where pumped about building new cars for Vancouver. I wish the big boys for skytrain would go to bat and say they want the cars built in Kingston, as we built great cars for Vancouver skytrain that have been running for 30 years. Once again sad day for Alstom Kingston employees,many years of work taken away to once the whole contract was being built in Kingston, now nothing, and no new work coming in.