Stanley Park Train will remain shut down for the 'foreseeable future'
Vancouverites hopeful of enjoying a ride on the iconic Stanley Park Train this spring will have to keep waiting as the future of its operations remains uncertain.
In a news release Monday morning, the Vancouver Park Board confirmed that the train will not return to the tracks in time for its Easter Train event and will remain “offline for the foreseeable future.”
Park Board general manager Steve Jackson stated that while staff have been working “tirelessly” to get the train running for Easter, he recognized “how disappointing this news is for so many people and their families.”
The train has been closed since last winter due to concerns about emissions safety. That prompted the cancellation of the highly anticipated Bright Nights Christmas Train, and 17,000 tickets for that event were refunded.
Bright Nights Christmas Train at Stanley Park
The Park Board noted that this latest closure of the train has put into question the “operational and financial viability” of its operations with its existing engine issues.
Recent testing of the train’s locomotive engines — which are over 50 years old — showed that “efforts to address emissions concerns were unsuccessful,” added the Park Board.
âOur mechanics have a high degree of expertise working on the trainâs aged combustion engines and have been working tirelessly with the Park Boardâs external third-party train engineer on designing solutions to the exhaust issue,â stated Lon LaClaire, the general manager of City of Vancouver’s engineering services.
LaClaire added that there isn’t a “clear solution” to refurbishing the engines to ensure they meet regulatory requirements to return to service.
The Park Board said staff are working on a comprehensive analysis of the paths forward for the train and will present it to the board’s commissioners in June.