Yesterday our Red Hat group had a luncheon at The Rogue in Sinclair Center in Vancouver. It's a great venue as so many live on or near Sky Train and it makes it easy to access. Sky Train at King George Station only goes to Surrey Central because of track work. So I had to change trains at Surrey Central, no problem. I met Pat at Surrey Central and we travelled together. I went on TransLink Planner as I don't take the bus/Sky Train often and it told me to catch the bus that runs very close to where I live at 9:58. I got there at 9:49 and the bus came! It was 9 minutes early. He didn't wait as they usually do at our stop when they are early but took right off. I was the only person on the bus! It's usually very busy.
We got to Waterfront Station very early and went for a walk around Canada Place:
Two ships were in port, the Grand Princess and the Viking Venus. I've never seen the Viking Venus! It was christened in 2021 and I believe it's the first year it's been to Vancouver. In 2025 it sails Asia, Australia, Alaska and the South Pacific.
After a wonderful lunch with 12 ladies, Pat and I went to Waterfront Station. A train rolled up with a transit employee in uniform sitting at the front of the train. They are automatic trains and don't have drivers. When we embarked, we were on one of the new Innovia Metro Mark V trains. The display that shows the route is much larger and easy to read. The trains have 5 cars with a capacity of 672. We noticed not as many seats on the new train as the older trains but it had more standing room. The train we were on had empty seats from Waterfront right to Surrey Central. It is much longer than the older trains!
Standard SkyTrain configuration and capacity
| Model | Length/car | Seats/car | Capacity/car | Cars/train | Length/train | Capacity/train |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ICTS Mark I (1984–1995) | 12.7 m (41 ft 8 in) | 22–36 | ~80 | 4 cars | 50.8 m (166 ft 8 in) | 332 |
| 6 cars | 76.2 m (250 ft 0 in) | 498 | ||||
| ART Mark II (2000–2002) | 17.35 m (56 ft 111⁄8 in) | 42 | 123 | 2 cars | 34.7 m (113 ft 101⁄8 in) | 256 |
| 4 cars | 69.4 m (227 ft 81⁄4 in) | 512 | ||||
| ART Mark II (2nd generation; 2009/2010) | 33 | 130 | 2 cars | 34.7 m (113 ft 101⁄8 in) | 264 | |
| 4 cars | 69.4 m (227 ft 81⁄4 in) | 528 | ||||
| Innovia Metro Mark III (2016–2019) | 17.025 m (55 ft 101⁄4 in) | 30–33 | 131–135 | 4 cars | 68.1 m (223 ft 51⁄8 in) | 532 |
| Innovia Metro Mark V (since 2025) | 31 | 134-139 | 5 cars | 84.8 m (278 ft 25⁄8 in) | 672 | |
| Hyundai Rotem EMU (2009–present) | 20.5 m (67 ft 31⁄8 in) | 44 | 167 | 2 cars | 41 m (134 ft 61⁄8 in) | 334 |
When I returned back to King George Station my bus went right down Fraser Highway so I could see the construction of the Skytrain extension to Langley. It's coming along! Here is the new Skytrain station under construction at 152 and Fraser Highway:
