TransLink begins replacing all original Expo Line elevators
TransLink has begun replacing all original Expo Line elevators. The agency says most of the elevators are from the opening of SkyTrain in 1985.
According to TransLink, the Expo Line Elevator Replacement Program will improve station accessibility and reliability for customers by replacing 21 original elevators across 15 stations. Once complete, all original Expo Line elevators will have been replaced with newer, more spacious ones.
The new elevators will be:
- More spacious with extra room for customers with mobility devices, strollers, bikes and luggage.
- More reliable due to reduced downtime required for maintenance.
- More weather-resilient in warm weather.
TransLink notes two elevator replacements are already under way at Nanaimo and 22nd St. stations. Each elevator replacement will take approximately four months to complete. Elevators will be replaced a few at a time until all remaining original Expo Line elevators are replaced to minimize disruptions for customers.
The agency says the program follows its recent replacement of 37 original Expo Line escalators and is the next stage in improving the customer experience by ensuring the SkyTrain system continues to operate safely and reliably.
TransLink notes the C$32 million (US$23.1 million) investment was approved by the Mayors’ Council as part of Phase 2 of the Mayor’s 10-Year Vision, with partial funding from the government of Canada’s Canada Community Building Fund (CCBF) and from the government of British Columbia. To complete the replacement of additional SkyTrain elevators, TransLink will seek funds through future investment plans.
“Elevators are essential to ensuring customers can access transit reliably, and this program will reduce how often they break down,” said Mayors’ Council Chair Brad West. “This work is a result of the Mayor’s 10-Year Vision, and we are proud to continue improving transit in Metro Vancouver through the Access for Everyone plan.”
TransLink CEO Kevin Quinn added, “By replacing our elevators from the 1980s, we are taking customer experiences to new heights. These new elevators will make transit more reliable and accessible for those travelling with mobility devices, bicycles, strollers or luggage.”