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12/21/2020
TransLink announced late last week that Bombardier Transportation has been chosen to manufacture 205 new rail cars for SkyTrain's Expo and Millennium lines in Vancouver, British Columbia.
The $722.6 million contract — which represents the largest order of rail cars ever for SkyTrain — will allow the agency to retire older vehicles, improve fleet quality and maintain reliable service for riders, TransLink officials said in a press release.
SkyTrain's first new car is expected to arrive in 2023, with all new vehicles to be in service by 2027's end. The contract also will support service expansion as the regional transit network grows with the Broadway Subway project and the Surrey Langley SkyTrain.
The contract calls for 125 new cars to replace first-generation MKI vehicles, which entered service in 1985, and to support the Broadway Subway project; 80 cars to improve capacity on the Expo and Millennium lines; and an option for additional cars to support the Surrey Langley SkyTrains.
The new cars will be designed, assembled and tested in Canada.
"This new order will replace our oldest trains and allow us to improve the customer experience, support expansion projects and manage our capacity well into the future," said TransLink Chief Executive Officer Kevin Desmond.
The rail-car purchase is part of the Expo Millennium Line Upgrade Program, which is funded with a CA$1.47 billion investment through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program with contributions from the Canadian and British Columbia governments and TransLink.