Commercial-Broadway Station gets new look with additional fifth platform (PHOTOS)

Finishing touches being made on the new inbound Expo Line platform at Commercial-Broadway Station. (Kenneth Chan / Daily Hive)

The Expo Line platform area of Commercial-Broadway Station now feels far more open, brighter, and airier with an additional fifth platform, but passengers will not benefit from the huge station capacity increase until early-2019 when the expansion is scheduled to open.

Wood fencing that concealed the construction activity for the new platform has been dismantled, fully revealing the look of the entire platform addition. Construction crews are now in the process of completing finishing touches.

When the platform opens for operations, doors will open on both sides of the stopped trains traveling on the Expo Line inbound direction towards downtown.

Finishing touches being made on the new inbound Expo Line platform at Commercial-Broadway Station. (Kenneth Chan / Daily Hive)

A new pedestrian overpass over Broadway between the new Expo Line platform and the Millennium Line platforms, a widened Grandview Cut overpass, and expanded concourse areas are some of the other station improvements.

This dual platform arrangement, used elsewhere in the world and referred to as the “Spanish Solution,” provides significantly more station circulation capacity, effectively reducing overcrowding at the station by dispersing passengers over a larger floor area.

Finishing touches being made on the new pedestrian overpass between the Millennium Line platforms and the new Expo Line platform. (Kenneth Chan / Daily Hive)

Finishing touches being made on the widened walkway between the Millennium Line platforms and the north side of Broadway at Commercial-Broadway Station. (Kenneth Chan / Daily Hive)

Ample vertical circulation capacity has been designed between street level and the new platform, which has four new escalators (providing both up and down escalator access), two sets of staircases, and two new elevators.

The south side of Broadway will have two escalators, one elevator, and a staircase, while the north side — beyond the new overhead walkway — will also have two escalators, one elevator, and a staircase.

Finishing touches being made on the widened walkway between the Millennium Line platforms and the north side of Broadway at Commercial-Broadway Station. (Kenneth Chan / Daily Hive)

Construction on the $60-million SkyTrain station expansion and upgrade project began in mid-2015. The project was originally slated for a summer opening, but it was later pushed to this fall and now early next year.

As a part of the project, a new super-sized bus shelter for the 99 B-Line’s westbound direction towards UBC opened this past summer.

Station capacity upgrades are needed given that Commercial-Broadway Station is the region’s busiest transit hub with 90,000 train trips and 60,000 bus trips on a daily basis.

As a major hub and with the high rate of growth in regional transit ridership, the station is anticipated to become even busier over the coming years, especially once the Millennium Line’s Broadway Extension opens.

Full diagram of the upgrades at Commercial-Broadway Station. Click on the image for an enlarged version. (TransLink)

Existing passenger flows

Existing morning peak hour passenger circulation flows through Commercial-Broadway Station. (TransLink)

Future passenger flows

Future morning peak hour passenger circulation flows through Commercial-Broadway Station after expansion and upgrades. (TransLink)

See also