It’s 1986 and you’re boarding a Mark I SkyTrain for the very first time.  

A new era of transit has arrived in Metro Vancouver. You grab a seat and settle in for the ride. No smartphones. No Google Maps. No Uber. Just a brand-new way to get around the region. 

Forty years later, the original SkyTrain cars are nearing the end of the line and we’re raising a glass to the trains that started it all.   

TransLink has teamed up with New Westminster’s Steel & Oak Brewing Co. to create Rolling Stock Mark I West Coast IPA, a limited-edition beer celebrating 40 years of SkyTrain history. 

A toast to the past

Launching Friday, November 13, the Rolling Stock Mark I West Coast IPA is crisp and hoppy with bright citrus notes, a clean finish, and a golden colour.  

The tall cans feature vintage-inspired artwork in the familiar red, white, and blue colours of the original Mark I trains. 

And fittingly, the beer is brewed just a 20-minute walk from New Westminster Station at Steel & Oak Brewing Co.

Where to buy

Keen to give it a try? 

The beer is available at Steel & Oak’s tasting room, in four-packs at select Metro Vancouver liquor stores, and at participating restaurants.  

Don’t wait to give it a try. Steel & Oak is producing a limited run of 5,000 litres. 

There’s also exclusive Mark I-inspired merchandise, designed by Steel & Oak and produced by New Westminster-based PBJ Merch Co. 

Trucker hats, T-shirts, stickers and tote bags feature vintage designs celebrating the trains that have carried generations of riders. 

• The merchandise is available exclusively at Steel & Oak’s tasting room. 

A creative way to keep Metro Vancouver moving

This collaboration is about more than celebrating a piece of transit history. 

Working with local businesses like Steel & Oak helps shine a spotlight on homegrown brands while creating new revenue opportunities for TransLink. 

It’s something we’ve done before. In 2025, we teamed up with Patina Brewing to release a special pilsner celebrating 30 years of West Coast Express. 

With a portion of beer and merchandise sales going back to TransLink, these partnerships help generate additional revenue to support the transit system. 

Forty years after the first Mark I rolled onto the tracks, there’s still plenty worth celebrating.