Commutes on Sky Train — including the Evergreen Extension — could soon be faster during rush hour.
That’s because TransLink is moving ahead with the purchase of 80 additional SkyTrain cars to beef up rides on the Expo, Canada and Millennium lines.
The first 28 new Expo line and Millennium line cars are expected by early 2019, with another 28 expected by the end of 2019, three years ahead of schedule, and by the end of 2020 another 24 Canada Line cars will arrive.
The investment is expected to boost the Millennium Line capacity by 23%, 10% for the Expo Line and 30% for the Canada Line.
“As the region continues to grow and expand, we need to invest in public transit to keep people moving. Our government is focused on partnering with the Mayors’ Council and TransLink on their 10-Year Vision for transit in Metro Vancouver so that together we can deliver on the transportation infrastructure people need,” stated Selina Robinson, the Coquitlam-Maillardville MLA who is also the minister responsible for TransLink.
The total investment for the 80 new cars is $298 million, with $210 million for the 56 Expo and Millennium Line cars and $88 million for Canada Line. The purchase is being paid for through the Public Transit Infrastructure Fund (PTIF), which is 50% funded by the federal government, 33% by the B.C. government while TransLink contributes 17%.
The additional cars are expected to add 8,200 additional spaces per peak hour on both directions on all three SkyTrain Lines.
It’s part of the $2-billion phase one of the 10-Year Vision for better transit, roads, cycling and pedestrian infrastructure in Metro Vancouver.
