TransLink has selected Bombardier Transportation to manufacture the largest order of SkyTrain cars for the Expo and Millennium Lines. TransLink says a contract for the C$722.6-million (US$567.45-million) order will be signed in a matter of days.
The 205 new SkyTrain cars will allow TransLink to retire older vehicles, improve fleet quality and keep service reliable for customers. The contract will also support service expansion as the region’s transit network grows with the Broadway Subway Project and Surrey Langley SkyTrain. The first new SkyTrain car is expected to arrive in 2023, with all new vehicles in service by the end of 2027.
“Almost four decades ago our very first SkyTrain cars entered service, travelling between Vancouver and New Westminster. Those first-generation trains have served our region efficiently and reliably over many years, but they are now reaching the end of their lifecycle. This new order will replace our oldest trains and allow us to improve the customer experience, support expansion projects, and manage our capacity well into the future," said TransLink CEO Kevin Desmond.
The highlights of the order are as follows:
- 125 new SkyTrain cars to replace first-generation MKI vehicles which entered service in 1985, and to support the Broadway Subway Project;
- 80 SkyTrain cars to improve capacity on the Expo and Millennium Lines; and
- An option for additional cars to support Surrey Langley SkyTrain.
“We are proud and honored that TransLink is once again choosing to renew its long-standing partnership with Bombardier. Our commitment to support the development of public transit in Metro Vancouver remains as strong as ever. We are also proud that the new rail cars will be designed, assembled and tested in Canada," said Bombardier Transportation Americas Region President Elliot G. (Lee) Sander.
The purchase of these SkyTrain cars is part of the Expo Millennium Line Upgrade Program. The program is funded with an investment of C$1.47 billion (US$1.15 billion) through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program with contributions from the governments of Canada and British Columbia, as well as from TransLink.
