Welcome to Vancouver, British Columbia. Vancouver has a very extensive rapid transit system with a great variety of fleet diversity, as well as the world's largest automated train system, the SkyTrain. Public transit in Vancouver is provided by the Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority, which operates under the name TransLink. TransLink was formed in 1998 to replace BC Transit and consolidate the transportation responsibilities formerly held by the provincial government. TransLink now manages the buses in Greater Vancouver, as well as the SkyTrain, West Coast Express commuter rail, and SeaBus, the ferry that connects Downtown Vancouver and North Vancouver.
Bus service in Greater Vancouver is primarily operated by the Coast Mountain Bus Company (CMBC), which is a subsidiary of TransLink. TransLink operates the service, but fares, schedules, and routes are established by TransLink. CMBC operates a total of 190 routes and employs over 4,300 people. Routes in West Vancouver are operated by the West Vancouver Blue Bus. Blue Bus began service in 1912, and is the oldest continuously operated, municipal system in North America. Although the Blue Bus routes are part of the TransLink network, the buses themselves are owned and operated by the District Municipality of West Vancouver under a contract to Translink. The West Vancouver Blue Bus operates a total of 10 routes with a fleet of 39 buses, including some that operate into Downtown Vancouver.
The SkyTrain was originally constructed as a transit showcase for Expo 86, and is now an important part of Vancouver's transportation network. SkyTrain is operated by British Columbia Rapid Transit Company under contract to TransLink, a regional government transportation agency. Currently, the SkyTrain has two lines with a third under construction, two types of rolling stock, 30.8 miles (49.5 km) of track, 33 stations, and carries 220,000 people a day. SkyTrain is fully automated. There are no drivers on board the trains and announcements and door operations are handled automatically.
The West Coast Express is a peak directional commuter train line that operates five trains per weekday from Mission to Waterfront Station in Downtown Vancouver via Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows, Port Coquitlam, Coquitlam, and Port Moody. Additionally, one bus trip, called TrainBus, operates inbound making all station stops after the last train of the morning, and a return trip operates after the last train of the evening. The trains use General Motors F59PHI diesel-electric locomotive and between four and nine Bombardier BiLevel passenger carriages, operating in a push-pull mode with the diesels pulling on outbound trips. Plans to expand service include operating several TrainBus trips on the weekend, when there is no train service. The carriages and locomotives are maintained by VIA Rail, and the train tracks belong to CP Rail.
The SeaBus is a passenger-only ferry that operates from the Waterfront Terminal in downtown Vancouver to Lonsdale Quay in North Vancouver. The trip takes about 12 minutes each way, and there are two ferries, so service runs every 15 minutes during the day on weekdays and Saturdays, and every 30 minutes at other times. There is no service from about 1 AM to 6 AM. A new ferry is scheduled to enter service in 2008, allowing the existing ferries to be refurbished, extending their service lives.
All of the services provided by TransLink collect fares based on the honor system. Bus fareboxes provide receipts to passengers as they pay, and passengers using passes are required to have them available for inspection when asked to display them. This means that passengers may board the rear door of the bus, which is not a common practice in most cities, but is useful in speeding boarding on busier bus lines.
This website has photos of most bus models operated by the Coast Mountain Bus Company and West Vancouver Blue Bus, and SkyTrain trains and stations, as well as photos of Whistler Transit, the bus system that operates in Whistler, an alpine village about an hour's drive north of Vancouver.
This train does not continue past this station. In order to continue your journey, transfer to one of the trains continuing past this point, or click "BACK" to take the return trip back to Grand Central.TransLink (Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority)
SkyTrainVancouver's automated and mostly elevated train system
CMBC New Flyer D40HF, D40LF, and D40LFR BusesTransLink has both high floor and low floor D40 buses, and some of the low floor buses have the restyled front
CMBC New Flyer D60HF and D60LF BusesThe articulated buses in the TransLink fleet operate on the B-Line bus routes, Routes 97, 98, and 99, in very large numbers
CMBC New Flyer C40LF and C40LFR BusesTransLink's compressed natural gas bus fleet operates out of the Port Coquitlam Depot
CMBC Flyer Industries E901/902 TrolleybusesVancouver's oldest trolleybuses are nearing the end of their service lives
CMBC New Flyer E40LFR TrolleybusesVancouver's newer trolleybuses, which are phasing out the E901s as they arrive
CMBC NovaBUS LFSsVancouver's newest standard buses, and the most enviornmentally friendly buses to be operated in CMBC history
CMBC MCI ClassicsTransLink's oldest standard bus coaches
CMBC Orion VsOperating on TransLink's express routes
West Vancouver Blue BusPhotos of North America's oldest continuously operated municipal bus system
Community Shuttle CutawaysProviding service on the lowest volume routesWhistler Transit, Ltd
Whistler and Valley Express (WAVE)
Providing service in Whistler, BC
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