Skip to content

Rail Projects

A SkyTrain leaving a station

Our expansive rail network moves our customers to key transit hubs in the region. There are several infrastructure and fleet projects underway to improve the quality of our SkyTrain and West Coast Express services.

Many of these projects support the vision and requirements of our three main transit expansion plans: Transport 2050, the 10-Year Investment Plan, and Area Transit Plans.

Rail projects include:

  • Escalator replacement to enhance the accessibility at our SkyTrain and West Coast Express stations

  • Running rail and rail pad replacement to improve safety and comfort of our service

  • Adding renovated stairwells and elevators at SkyTrain stations to improve station accessibility

  • Partial or complete roof replacements to keep SkyTrain stations safe as part of ongoing maintenance

These infrastructure investments will keep the network in a state of good repair and safety, and support expanded services and regional growth in the coming years.


Lake City Way Station "Kiss and Ride" Relocation

Starting Sept. 23, 2024, the pick-up/drop-off (Kiss and Ride) zone at Lake City Way SkyTrain Station will be temporarily relocated to the drop-off lane near the entrance on Lake City Way.

The relocation is due to the construction of the adjacent Bridge Studio - Lake City development, which will be the largest film and television production studio in Canada.

Commercial-Broadway Escalator Replacement Project

Estimated Timeline: Dec. 2023 to Fall 2025

Overview: TransLink is working to replace four aging escalators at Commercial–Broadway SkyTrain Station to ensure safe and reliable transit operations for years to come. These escalators were installed at the start of the Millennium Line service in 2002 and are reaching the end of their service life.

Work on the two escalators serving Millennium Line’s Commercial platform began Dec. 2023. These new and improved escalators will open to customers Sept. 27, 2024. On the same day, the two nearby escalators serving Expo Line platforms 3 and 4 (near Booster Juice) will close for replacement. The accompanying stairs will also close to ensure the safety of the public and crews throughout construction. The elevator will remain open for those who need it.

What you need to know:

  • There will be no change to SkyTrain service during this time, however, there will be detours within the station causing more congestion than usual.

    • Customers can transfer to/from Expo Line platforms 3 and 4 through the station entrance next to Safeway on the opposite side of E Broadway.

    • Please allow an extra five minutes for your transit trip if using Expo Line at Commercial–Broadway Station.

    • Please follow posted in-station directional signs or ask SkyTrain staff for assistance if needed.

Please note: Most transit fares will not be impacted by tapping out and back into SkyTrain provided they tap within the 90-minute active fare window.

Millennium to Expo Line trips which begin and end in Fare Zone 2 but normally transfer at Commercial-Broadway can use the elevator to continue transferring within the fare paid zone to avoid an additional Zone fare. Customers can also use Trip Planner to find bus connections with similar trip times that don’t cross Zone boundaries.

As part of the replacement works, two faregates at the East Broadway Ave entrance have been removed from service until the end of the replacement project. There are additional faregates nearby to provide uninterrupted station access.

Know before you go: For up to date service information, please visit our Alerts page.

Oakridge Transit Station and Plaza Upgrades

Illustration of the entrance to Oakridge-41st Avenue station

To prepare for the future Oakridge Park redevelopment, TransLink, Westbank Corp, QuadReal and the City of Vancouver are upgrading Oakridge–41st Avenue Station on the Canada Line. These improvements will begin in September 2024 and are expected to last approximately one year.

Once the project is completed, Oakridge–41st Avenue Station will include:

  • Two new escalators to improve customer accessibility at the station.

  • A new street-level station entrance canopy for better weather protection.

  • Direct underground mall access from the station for more efficient travel.

Over 7,000 customers use Oakridge–41st Avenue Station daily — that number is expected to grow as density in the area increases. This underscores the need for more longer-term investments in transit and its infrastructure to alleviate potential overcrowding across the region. The 10-Year Access for Everyone Plan is still unfunded and needs approval to address TransLink’s structural funding gap and significantly expand transit in Metro Vancouver.

Construction Impacts

Customers may experience temporary changes to station access and slight delays due to construction. Signage will be in place to minimize any disruptions. Intermittent elevator closures will also occur during the project; customers are encouraged to check Transit Alerts for updates. This work will take place near the ongoing construction of the new Oakridge Park redevelopment.

SkyTrain Roof Replacement Project

As part of the TransLink Maintenance and Upgrade Program, we’re continuing to partially and fully replace the roofs at several SkyTrain stations and other buildings on the system to protect customers and SkyTrain facilities. Many of the buildings along our SkyTrain network are aging and require ongoing maintenance. This work will help ensure that we continue to meet the needs of our customers now and in the future.

Brentwood Town Centre Station

Estimated Timeline: Aug. to Dec. 2024

Overview: Transit services and customer commutes will be unaffected during the full roof replacement at Brentwood Town Centre Station. Existing stores and restaurants will remain accessible at all sites of construction with minimal hoarding. The majority of TransLink’s annual roof replacement program upgrades take place during the day with the possibility of some overnight work, as required.

Gateway Station

Estimated Timeline: Sept. to Dec. 2024

Overview: As part of TransLink’s annual roof replacement program, we’re working to partially replace the roof at Gateway Station. As with other roof replacement work, the majority of the upgrades will take place during the day with the possibility of some overnight work, as required.

SkyTrain Noise Study

In response to noise concerns from residents along the Expo and Millennium lines, TransLink conducted a multi-step SkyTrain Noise Study in 2018.

The study recommended that we investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of six noise mitigation measures. These investigations were divided into two phases. Both phases have now been completed. You can find more details in the summary report and technical report.

This work is more important now than ever before as Metro Vancouver continues to grow and more people choose to live near rapid transit lines. The results of the study will help us identify noise-reduction measures for our system and inform future designs and investments.

Progress

The 2018 assessment report is complete. We have also completed a two-phased study to investigate all the mitigation measures outlined in the initial assessment report.

Learn more in the reports below:

Next Steps

Some noise mitigation measures are already being implemented.

We are implementing harder rail with 3km of track that will be replaced annually under the program. The benefits of the harder rail are that corrugation doesn't develop as quickly, meaning noise mitigation is more manageable.

The installation of rail dampers has been approved and funded, and install will begin in Spring of 2022. Rail dampers will be installed on 3.2km on the Expo Line. More information on why this section was chosen can be found in the Phase Two report.

TransLink will assess and work to get approval and funding for the other measures outlined in the report.

In most locations, you will not hear a sudden reduction in noise. These noise mitigation measures aim to make train noise levels more stable and consistent, so that there are no longer times when the noise level is noticeably worse than others.

SkyTrain Station Upgrades

Brentwood Town Centre Station

Rendering of new Brentwood Town Centre Station

Construction Information

Starting Aug. 19, 2024 station elevators at Brentwood Town Centre Skytrain station from the street level on Lougheed Highway to the concourse level will be closed temporarily.

Customers can access the station via the escalator, stairs, and elevators at the Amazing Brentwood Mall, close to the north station entrance. Directional signage is in place to assist customers.

SkyTrain and bus services will be maintained at Brentwood Town Centre Station throughout the construction period, although some bus stops may be temporarily relocated.

Upgrades to Brentwood Town Centre station began in June 2022 and are expected to be completed by Q1 2025.

Temporary Bus Stop Relocations
As of June 2022, buses located along Lougheed Highway have been temporarily relocated as follows:

  • Bay 4 serving route 123, and Bay 5 serving routes 25 and the N9 were relocated from Lougheed Highway just east of Willingdon (in front of the Carter car dealership) to Lougheed Highway west of Willingdon, between Willingdon and Rosser Avenue (near the Shoppers Drug Mart and Whole Foods).
  • Buses using Bay 3 on Lougheed Highway were not impacted and we expect they will remain unaffected throughout construction (this stop is east of Alpha Avenue).

View the temporary bus stop relocations for Brentwood Town Centre Station.

Customers should plan for approximately 10 extra minutes of travel time if transferring to or from the bus.

Road impacts
Lanes on Lougheed Highway between Alpha Avenue and Willingdon Avenue have been reopened. Lane closures were necessary for the safety of road users and workers while crews carried out excavation and expansion work at Brentwood Town Centre Station. Intermittent nighttime lane closures can be expected in the coming months while crews work hard to complete the station upgrades.

We thank our customers and the public for their patience and understanding during this time.

About the Project

As part of TransLink’s Maintenance and Upgrade Program, Brentwood Town Centre Station is undergoing substantial upgrades to improve accessibility for all customers, upgrade the amenities, and provide a better customer experience by allowing more customers to move comfortably throughout the station.

In 2019 (pre-COVID), the station served close to 1.8 million passengers. With the ongoing development in the Brentwood area, the upgrades will ensure we continue to provide efficient, reliable service to our customers well into the future.

The upgrades to Brentwood Town Centre Station are included in TransLink’s Phase One Investment Plan and are funded by TransLink and the Government of Canada through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program.

Project Overview

The upgrades include:

  • Enhancing access into and within the station with a new elevator from the ground level to the mezzanine level on the south side of Lougheed Highway;
  • Replacing the existing staircases with new glass enclosed staircase to provide better protection and comfort for customers as well as a more pleasing aesthetic look.
  • Two new escalators from the mezzanine to platform level and an expanded mezzanine level (by approximately 560 square metres) to allow customers to move comfortably through the station;
  • Doubling the fare gates on the mezzanine level from three to six to improve customer access;
  • Station technology and safety enhancements such as lighting upgrades, refurbishing station finishes, additional real-time passenger information displays, and CCTV camera and PA system expansion to cover the footprint of the larger station; and
  • A new public art piece featuring glass artwork on the mezzanine level.

Questions?

If you have any questions about the project, please email publicengagement@translink.ca.

Burrard Station

About the Project

As part of the TransLink Maintenance and Upgrade Program, we had planned several upgrades to Burrard SkyTrain Station. Due to high construction bid prices during the procurement process, we paused those upgrades. Since then, we’ve reassessed what needs to be done in the near term to continue to effectively serve our customers.

We will be upgrading the five escalators at Burrard Station to improve the customer experience and maintain a state of good repair. The escalators have been in service for more than 35 years, and since their installation, Expo Line usage has dramatically increased. These upgrades will ensure we can keep our customers moving reliably for years to come.

Next steps

Additional previously planned upgrades at Burrard Station are on pause and will be considered for implementation in the coming years.

Questions?

If you have any questions about the project, please email burrardstationupgrade@translink.ca.


Related Documents