Here's how you can ride a special West Coast Express train this weekend
Metro Vancouver’s only commuter rail service is celebrating a milestone birthday this weekend, and you can hop aboard to head downtown to a free, all-ages party.
TransLink is marking 30 years of service for the West Coast Express with a public event on the Waterfront Station platform on Saturday, Nov. 1.
And to help get commuters there, the train will be doing a special weekend run from the Fraser Valley to Downtown Vancouver.
West Coast Express commuter rail at Waterfront Station in downtown Vancouver. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)
“We’re hosting a special event to commemorate this important milestone and to show appreciation for the train, staff, and customers who have kept the West Coast Express rolling for three decades,” said TransLink online.
West Coast Express began service on Nov. 1, 1995. It currently services seven cities from Monday to Friday (excluding holidays), with five trains heading from Mission to Vancouver in the mornings and Vancouver to Mission in the afternoons.
West Coast Express commuter rail and Canadian Pacific freight trains in downtown Vancouver. (Marc Bruxelle/Shutterstock)
TransLink will be running a West Coast Express train on Saturday, Nov. 1, to and from the celebration! The commuter train will depart Mission City Station westbound to Waterfront Station at 9 a.m., and then will head back east at 3 p.m.
Regular fares will apply, and the full schedule of stops at each station can be found online.
Guests at the West Coast Express anniversary party from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in downtown Vancouver will enjoy musical performances, a photo op on the locomotive, prize giveaways, and a meet-and-greet with the train’s staff.
Children can take part in free activities like games, treats, colouring sheets, activity books, and more. And there may even be a new, exclusive TransLink Trading Card available on site.
And for more fun events happening this week, check out our list of things to do in Vancouver.
West Coast Express 30th Anniversary Party
When: Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025
Time: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Where: West Coast Express platform at Waterfront Station – 601 West Cordova St., Vancouver
Cost: Free, must have a Compass card to access the party as the event is happening past the fare gates on the platform