You may have heard, BIG things are coming for Metro Vancouver transit as part of Phase Two of the Mayors’ Council 10-Year Vision! In fact, there are so many big things coming that over the next week and a half, we’ll be breaking down the nitty gritty of what’s to come in our new series: 10-Year Vision Spotlight. 

The iconic Expo Line opened for the World’s Fair in 1986, and was Metro Vancouver’s first introduction to rail rapid transit. In the three decades since opening, the original Expo Line has expanded to cover nearly 60 km of track, including the Millennium Line and most recently, the Evergreen Extension to the Millennium Line. Annual ridership on the Expo and Millennium Lines reached 105 million boardings in 2017 and is projected to grow significantly in the coming decade. At over 30 years’ old, our aging infrastructure requires significant upgrades in order to support the growing needs of Metro Vancouver. Once all upgrades are complete, the two lines combined will be capable of moving more than 24,000 passengers per hour per direction – a 60 per cent increase over today’s capacity!

Let’s take a look at how we’re upgrading the existing rail network

• 203 new train cars to expand capacity and replace aging fleet. Higher capacity trains will be introduced to maximize space for passengers.
• Expanded vehicle storage to accommodate new fleet.
• Upgrades to operations and maintenance centres, mainline power, and control systems to support more frequent train service and longer trains.
• Station upgrades to increase passenger capacity, accessibility, amenities, and improve neighbourhood integration:
  • Construction of upgrades at Burrard and Brentwood stations.
  • Design of future upgrades, including Columbia, Edmonds, and Stadium-Chinatown stations.
  • Trains are expected to run every 100-110 seconds on the busiest segment of the Expo Line during peak periods.

This investment builds upon investments that have already been funded as part of Phase One of the Mayors’ Council 10-Year Vision.

The estimated cost of the Expo and Millennium Line upgrade program in the Phase Two Plan is $1.30 billion, pending final funding approvals by senior governments.Lookkng for more info?

Public engagement on Phase Two of the 10-Year Vision is now underway until May 11! Visit tenyearvision.translink.ca to learn more and have your say.

Author: Sarah Kertcher