Heads up, transit riders! Beginning Sunday, March 22, SkyTrain service in downtown Vancouver is going to be reduced on weekends until June.
According to TransLink, service for riders will be affected on early mornings on Saturdays and mornings and late nights on Sundays.
TransLink is advising riders that during these periods, Expo Line travellers moving through or using downtown Vancouver stations should expect delays and build in an extra 20 minutes of travel time.
TransLink says that service adjustments will occur during the following times:
- Saturdays from the beginning of service until 10 a.m.
- Sundays from the beginning of service until 10 a.m.
- Sundays from 9:30 p.m. to the end of service
“This essential maintenance work is for necessary upgrades to the linear induction motor (LIM) rail to ensure the continued safety and reliability of SkyTrain,” TransLink states.
Canada and Millennium lines will not be affected, and TransLink says that the digital screens on platforms will advise riders of any changes.
“The LIM Rail Replacement Program, designed to replace the original Expo Line LIM rail with an upgraded assembly to match the Millennium Line and provide consistency across the system, will begin with the track section between Waterfront and Stadium—Chinatown stations,” TransLink says, advising customers to check out its alerts page to see which stations are impacted.
The timing couldn’t be better as the maintenance is set to wrap up right around the time FIFA festivities will be in full bloom in Vancouver.