The next stop is: SkyTrain’s Operation and Maintenance Centre in Burnaby!

Metro Vancouver is growing, and so is our SkyTrain network. And we’re making major investments in the coming years to get the SkyTrain system ready for more customers in more neighbourhoods.

In August 2023, we shared a behind-the-scenes look at the newest member of the SkyTrain fleet as it underwent functional performance testing at the Alstom facility. And now, we’ve loaded the first Mark V SkyTrain onto flatbed trucks en route to Vancouver from Kingston, Ontario. Upon arrival in Burnaby, the train will undergo rigorous testing in the new year that will last through most of 2024.

Truck leaves with a Mark V SkyTrain car in Kingston, Ontario. Train wears a blue ribbon on its windshield. © Alstom / C. Fleury

Loading the Mark V SkyTrain in Kingston, Ontario. Train wears a blue ribbon on its windshield. © Alstom / C. Fleury

A Mark V car gets loaded onto the truck at Kingston, Ontario. © Alstom / C. Fleury

The 40 remaining Mark V SkyTrains will gradually join the fleet and enter service by 2028.

The new Mark V cars will provide customers with a safe and comfortable experience on transit. You told us you like the design of Mark III cars, so the Mark V cars will look very similar. They will include additional features, such as more flex space for bike racks and leaning pads. Primarily forward-facing seating with some perimeter seating incorporated, and improved on-train displays.

The Mark V trains have a 5-car configuration, making them longer than current trains, and able to carry up to 25% more customers. This will allow us to serve more customers in more neighbourhoods and be ready for the province’s Broadway Subway and Surrey Langley SkyTrain extensions.

So if you happen to spot a Mark V SkyTrain crossing Canada on Highway 1, give it a little wave.