We’re increasing SeaBus service this weekend to help you travel smoothly between downtown Vancouver and the North Shore during one of the busiest times of the year. With thousands of people heading to the Shipyards Christmas Market and other holiday events, additional sailings will be scheduled to reduce wait times and ease crowding.

What to expect this weekend

On Friday, Dec. 19, we’re extending 15-minute later into the evening until 11:30 p.m., followed by 30-minute sailings until 1:30 a.m. The final sailing of the night will depart Waterfront Station at 1:22 a.m.

On Saturday, Dec. 20, we’re adding an extra service to increase frequency throughout the day. We will start the morning with 30-minute sailings from 6 a.m. to 7 a.m., before increasing to 15-minute service until noon. During the busiest part of the day, from noon until 8:30 p.m., the SeaBus will run every 10 minutes to help everyone get to and from the festivities. We are also extending our 15-minute service later than usual, until 11:30 p.m. Late-night sailings will run every 30 minutes from 11:30 p.m. until the final vessel leaves Waterfront Station at 1:22 a.m.

Customers travelling between downtown Vancouver and the North Shore are encouraged to build in extra travel time dress for the weather and wear proper footwear to avoid slips and falls.

Holiday events fuel record SeaBus ridership

 It’s been a record-breaking season for SeaBus ridership. More people are choosing transit as an easy and convenient way to travel between downtown Vancouver and the North Shore. Recent weekends have recorded some of the busiest SeaBus days since before the pandemic.

Two recent Saturdays, Dec. 6 and Dec. 13 were our second- and third-busiest SeaBus days of the year, topped only by Canada Day! Each day recorded over 28,700 boardings. To put that in perspective, that’s  higher than the ridership we saw during major events like the Taylor Swift Eras Tour, which saw  over 24,700 boardings on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024.

Opening weekend of the 2025 Christmas Market saw SeaBus ridership jumping by 40 per cent compared to the same weekend last year, with more than 69,000 boardings over three days. Overall ridership has remained strong throughout the holiday season as customers continue to choose transit as a convenient way to enjoy events and to avoid the hassle of traffic and finding parking.

Holiday service schedules

TransLink is offering free transit on New Year’s Eve, and service levels will vary during the holidays.

Here’s what you can expect on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Eve:

Christmas Eve, Wednesday, Dec. 24:

• Buses will operate on a regular weekday schedule.
• SkyTrain will operate on a regular weekday schedule.
• SeaBus will operate on a regular weekday schedule.
• West Coast Express will operate on an adjusted weekday schedule.
  • West Coast Express will run earlier eastbound service in the afternoon, with trains departing Waterfront station at 1 p.m., 3 p.m., 4:20 p.m., and 6:20 p.m. Morning service will operate as usual.
• The TransLink Customer Service Centre and Access Transit Customer Care Office will be open. The Lost Property Office will close early at 2 p.m.

Christmas Day, Thursday, Dec. 25:

• Buses will operate on a Sunday/holiday schedule.
• Expo and Millennium Lines will operate on a Sunday/holiday with reduced service throughout the day. Canada Line will operate on a regular Sunday schedule.
• SeaBus will operate on a Sunday/holiday schedule.
• West Coast Express will not operate.
• The TransLink Customer Service Centre, Access Transit Customer Care Office, and Lost Property Office will be closed.

Boxing Day, Friday, Dec. 26:

• Buses will operate on a Saturday and Sunday schedule.
  • Coast Mountain Bus Company conventional buses will operate on a Sunday schedule.
  • Community Shuttles will operate on a Saturday schedule.
  • West Vancouver Blue Bus will operate on a Saturday schedule.
• SkyTrain will operate on a Saturday schedule.
• SeaBus will operate on a Saturday schedule.
• West Coast Express will not operate.
• The TransLink Customer Service Centre, Access Transit Customer Care Office, and Lost Property Office will be closed.

New Year’s Eve (December 31) service details:

• Buses will operate on an extended weekday schedule, with 52 additional buses throughout the system and extra service on select routes.
• SkyTrain service will operate on an extended weekday schedule.
  • Last train from Waterfront to King George at 2:16 a.m.
  • Last train from Waterfront to Lougheed Town Centre at 2:11 a.m.
  • Last train from Waterfront to Production Way–University at 1:40 a.m.
  • Last train from VCC–Clark to Lafarge Lake–Douglas at 2:22 a.m. (until 2:30 a.m. to Lougheed Town Centre only)
  • Last train from Waterfront to YVR–Airport at 2:08 a.m.
  • Last train from Waterfront to Richmond–Brighouse at 2:15 a.m.
• SeaBus will be running on an extended weekday schedule, with service every 15 minutes until 1:22 a.m. and every 30 minutes until the last sailing from Waterfront Station at 2:22 a.m.
• NightBus routes will continue operating every 20 to 30 minutes from downtown Vancouver after SkyTrain and SeaBus service ends.
  • NightBus runs throughout the night in key areas of North Vancouver, UBC, Vancouver, Richmond, New Westminster, Surrey, Burnaby, SFU, Coquitlam, and Port Moody.
• West Coast Express will be operating on a weekday schedule.
  • The 5:30 and 6:20 p.m. trains leaving Waterfront Station will be free.

The TransLink Customer Service Centre, Access Transit Customer Care Office, and Lost Property Office will be open on December 31. The Lost Property Office will close at 2 p.m.