TransLink Page

Bus service in the Greater Vancouver Area and the Lower Mainland is provided by TransLink, legally the South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority, which is responsible for transit operations in Metro Vancouver (Coast Mountain Bus Company), in West Vancouver (West Vancouver Municipal Transportation), and along a commuter rail line (West Coast Express), serving a total population of 2.1 million. TransLink has a fleet of 832 CMBC buses and 38 West Vancouver buses—including New Flyer low-floor buses in both 40’ and 60’ lengths in diesel, CNG and hybrid versions, along with NovaBus LFS diesel and hybrid and Orion V buses—298 SkyTrain cars, and two SeaBus ferries which provide service to North Vancouver. In addition, Vancouver is only transit system in Canada which still operates electric trolleybuses, with a fleet of 244 E40LFR and E60LFR ETBs. Prior to April 1st, 1999, transit service was provided by BC Transit, which continues to provide transit service in the rest of the province.

All photos are by the webmaster unless noted otherwise.

	The SkyTrain is a completely automated driverless rapid transit system which operates three lines. The Expo Line runs between downtown Vancouver and Surrey, while the Millennium Line operates between downtown Vancouver and New Westminster. Transit systems using similar vehicles include the TTC (the Scarborough RT) and the Detroit People Mover. The Canada Line, opened in 2009, uses a different technology and operates between downtown Vancouver and Vancouver International Airport in Richmond. This photo was taken during the summer of 1994. (Photo by Alain D.)
	070 is an ICTS Mark I car, built by the Urban Transportation Development Corporation. The first order of Mark I cars was delivered between 1984 and 1986 and were intended to be a legacy project for Expo 86. The Mark I trains use linear induction to propel the trains and have no drivers. This photo was taken at Main Street-Science World Station on July 22, 2010. ICTS stands for Intermediate Capacity Transit System.
	071 is another ICTS Mark I car, shown at Stadium-Chinatown Station on July 22, 2010. This car is still painted in the original BC Transit livery, though many trains have been repainted since TransLink assumed control in 1999. At the time, there were 150 Mark I cars in service in Vancouver.
	205 is a Bombardier ART Mark II car, seen at Waterfront Station on July 22, 2010. Sixty Mark II cars were acquired between 2000 and 2002, and ridership growth prompted TransLink to order another 48 cars between 2009 and 2010. Similar trains are used on New York’s JFK AirTrain, Kuala Lumpur’s Kelana Jaya Line, and the Beijing Airport Express.
	318 is another ART Mark II car, spotted at Waterfront Station on July 22, 2010. This train was part of the second order of Mark II trains and is painted in the new TransLink livery. ART stands for Advanced Rapid Transit.
	111 is a Canada Line train, seen approaching Bridgeport Station in Richmond on July 22, 2010. These trains, built by Hyundai Rotem and placed in service in August 2009, use conventional electric motors to propel the trains and are thus incompatible with the rest of the SkyTrain network.
	210 is shown leaving Bridgeport Station on July 22, 2010. The Canada Line fleets comprises twenty fully automated two-car articulated trains, for a total of forty cars. Like the Mark I and II cars used for the Expo and Millennium lines, the Canada Line trains are fully automated and have no drivers.
	5152 was a 1976 Flyer D800, seen in 1994. These buses were retired in September 1995. (Photo by Alain D.)
	3165 was a 1982 Flyer D901A, seen from the SkyTrain during the summer of 1994. It was purchased for Oakridge as 3301, then renumbered to 3165 in 1991. It was then sent to Richmond as R1158, before being retired in January 2001. (Photo by Alain D.)
	2712 was a 1982 Flyer E901A. Like all trolleybuses, this vehicle has operated from Oakridge for its entire career. This photo was taken in April 2003. (Photo by the Snapmeister)
	2904 was a 1983 Flyer E902, seen in April 2003. This bus was based at Oakridge for its entire career, and is shown painted in the CMBC paint scheme. All these buses were retired in March 2008 after being replaced by New Flyer E40LFR and E60LFR trolleybuses. (Photo by the Snapmeister)
	P4195 was a 1990 MCI TC-40102N, seen in April 2003. This bus was purchased for Burnaby as 5432, and was renumbered 4195 in Dec. 1995. This bus was then transferred to Oakridge in March 1997, and then Surrey later that year, and finally to Port Coquitlam. This bus is painted in the new CMBC livery. (Photo by the Snapmeister)
	5489 was another 1990 MCI TC-40102N. It was purchased for Oakridge as 3408, and then transferred to Burnaby as 5489. It was renumbered as S4252 in December 1995 when it was transferred to Surrey. This photo was taken in 1994. (Photo by Alain D.)
	B7129 is a 1995 New Flyer D40LF, seen in April 2003. This bus is based in Burnaby. (Photo by the Snapmeister)
	V7181 is a 1996 New Flyer D40LF based in North Vancouver, and is shown waiting to resume service at Bridgeport SkyTrain Station on July 22, 2010.
	R3293 is a 1998 NewFlyer C40LF based in Richmond, spotted at Bridgeport Station on July 22, 2010. In 2009, many of the C40LF buses were converted to diesel and the rooftop CNG tanks were removed, though these buses still lack the rear windows found on most TransLink New Flyer buses.
	R8073 is a Richmond-based 2000 NFI D60LF, seen at Bridgeport Station on July 22, 2010.
	R8081 is another 2000 D60LF based in Richmond, seen at the Tsawwassen ferry terminal on July 22, 2010. These buses have a special livery for use on the B-Line rapid transit routes.
	R9247 is a 2001 Orion 05.501 suburban bus based in Richmond, shown laying up at Bridgeport Station on July 22, 2010. These buses were purchased to provide more comfortable rides along Highway 99 to the southern areas of the Lower Mainland and have amenities such as coach-type seating, reading lights, luggage racks, and air conditioning.
	R9271 is another 2001 Orion V, seen resting at Bridgeport Station on July 22, 2010. The CMBC also ordered Orion V suburban buses in 2008, and these were the last Orion V buses delivered to a Canadian transit system.
	2150 is a 2006 New Flyer E40LFR trolleybus, seen on West Hastings Street in downtown Vancouver on July 22, 2010. These vehicles were the first low-floor trolleybuses to have been built by New Flyer Industries, and all are powered by Škoda 19 ML 3550 K/4 electric motors, rated at 240 kW.
	2267 is another 2006 NFI E40LFR, seen passing under the SkyTrain tracks on Main Street near the Vancouver Science Centre on July 22, 2010. SEPTA in Philadelphia also operates E40LFR trolleybuses.
	2286 is a 2006 NFI E40LFR, spotted on West Cordova Street in downtown Vancouver on July 22, 2010. Unlike almost all of New Flyer’s Low Floor Restyled product line, these buses feature large rear windows as the buses are not air conditioned.
	2514 is a 2007 New Flyer E60LFR articulated trolleybus, seen on Main Street near the Main Street-Science Centre Skytrain Station on July 22, 2010.
	2522 is another 2007 E60LFR, spotted on Main Street at Terminal Avenue on July 22, 2010.

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