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West Coast Express | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 West Coast Express train at Waterfront station, set to depart towards Mission | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Overview | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Owner | TransLink (West Coast Express, Ltd.) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Locale | Lower Mainland, British Columbia, Canada | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stations | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Website | Official website | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Service | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Type | Commuter rail | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operator(s) | TransLink | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Daily ridership | 6,400 (weekdays, Q4 2024)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ridership | 1,559,100 (2024)[2] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Opened | November 1, 1995; 29 years ago (1995-11-01)[3] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Technical | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Line length | 69 km (43 mi) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)standard gauge | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operating speed | 70 mph (110 km/h) (top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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TheWest Coast Express (reporting markWCE) is acommuter railway serving theLower Mainland region ofBritish Columbia, Canada. It is owned and operated by the region's transit authority,TransLink. Opened in 1995, it provides a link betweenMetro Vancouver and theFraser Valley Regional District and is the only commuter railway inWestern Canada. In 2024, the system had a ridership of 1,559,100, or about 6,400 per weekday as of the fourth quarter of 2024.
Service is provided betweenDowntown Vancouver and the municipalities ofPort Moody,Coquitlam,Port Coquitlam,Pitt Meadows,Maple Ridge, andMission. Along its route, several stations interchange with theSkyTrain metropolitan rail system as well as local bus services. Additionally,Waterfront station in Downtown Vancouver provides a connection to theSeaBus passenger ferry.
Service on the West Coast Express began on November 1, 1995, under the management ofBC Transit. It was transferred to TransLink on April 1, 1999, the successor to BC Transit's operations inGreater Vancouver.[4] In 1997, an onboard education program called the "Brain Train" was introduced; for a fee, passengers in a dedicated car would listen to weekly lectures from aCapilano College instructor in various subjects, including foreign languages and public speaking.[5]
The West Coast Express operates from Monday to Friday (excluding holidays) with five trains per day running from Mission to Vancouver in the morning peak hours (5:25 am – 7:25 am) and returning to Mission in the evening peak (3:50 pm – 6:20 pm).[6] A one-way trip takes 75 minutes, which is faster than driving to Downtown Vancouver.
The commuter railway is owned byTransLink, the transportation authority of theMetro Vancouver region.Metro Vancouver Transit Police officers and transit security officers conduct random fare inspections within the Fare Paid Zones at stations and on board trains. People caught without valid fare are removed from the train and may be fined $173. Contracted commissionaires provide station attendant services and a security presence, even checking fares on occasion at stations. Commissionaires do not conduct fare enforcement.
Rail service is supplemented by TransLink's 701 bus route, which runs four eastbound and four westbound trips per weekday—one in the morning, one in the afternoon, and two in the evening—betweenCoquitlam Central station andMission City station.[7][8] As with the West Coast Express itself, this bus service does not run on weekends and holidays. TransLink's regular one-zone adult/concession fare rates apply to these trips. The eastbound bus makes regular stops until it reachesHaney Place Exchange inMaple Ridge and then runs non-stop for about 26 minutes to Mission City station. This process is reversed for westbound buses. The entire one-way route is completed in 60 to 70 minutes.
Until December 30, 2016, the West Coast Express rancoach-style "TrainBus" service, which provided additional service when trains were not running. The TrainBus service provided two buses, one fromPort Haney station in Maple Ridge and one from Mission City station, to Vancouver in the morning (after all westbound trains had departed) and five buses eastbound (two mid-day, and three after all eastbound trains had departed Waterfront), three of which extended to Mission, stopping only at West Coast Express stations.[9] This service was replaced by the 701 bus service.
| Station | Municipality | Zone | Year | Connection(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mission City | Mission | Zone 5 | 1995 |  CFV buses |
| Port Haney | Maple Ridge | Zone 4 | 1995 | |
| Maple Meadows | Maple Ridge | Zone 4 | 1995 | |
| Pitt Meadows | Pitt Meadows | Zone 4 | 1995 | |
| Port Coquitlam | Port Coquitlam | Zone 3 | 1995 | |
| Coquitlam Central | Coquitlam | Zone 3 | 1995 | |
| Moody Centre | Port Moody | Zone 3 | 2016[a] |  Millennium Line |
| Waterfront | Vancouver | Zone 1 | 1995 |
| Year | 2016[10] | 2017[11] | 2018[12] | 2019[13] | 2020[14] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trips (millions) | 2.5 | 2.3 | 2.5 | 2.6 | 0.8[b] | ||
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| Mode | Trips | % of total |
| ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
  SkyTrain | 149,066,500 | 37.00 | |||
 West Coast Express | 1,559,100 | 0.39 | |||
 SeaBus | 5,398,900 | 1.34 | |||
 Bus | 246,877,500 | 61.30 | |||
| Total | 402,902,000[c] | 100.00 |
Use of theCompass Card on the West Coast Express began on June 8, 2015, along with new card vending machines. Existing paper fares were honoured until July 24, 2015.[16]
West Coast Express fares can also be used as a three-zone fare on other TransLink services. A one-way fare expires 120 minutes from the time of purchase; all other fares work as an all-day pass.[17] See TransLink Fares for more information on the pricing of the West Coast Express' fares.
As of July 1, 2021[update], the lowest adult fare is $5.90 for one or two zones traveled excluding Waterfront station and $7.65 for three zones including Waterfront station. A discount is available for Compass Card users, who are also able to load return and monthly passes.[16]
| Type | Manufacturer | Model | Units | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Locomotive | Electro-Motive Diesel | F59PHI | 5 | Nos. 901–905 |
| Locomotive | MotivePowerIndustries | MP36PH-3C | 1 | No. 906; backup unit, arrived in December 2006. |
| Locomotive | Electro-Motive Diesel | F59PH | 1 | No. 907; backup unit, formerGO Transit Locomotive 533, former Larry's Truck Electric 18533, arrived in May 2023. |
| Rail coach | Bombardier | BiLevel coach VI | 44 | 37 original units, 7 added in 2010 |
Each train consists of aGeneral Motors/EMD F59PHIdiesel-electric locomotive and between four and tenBombardierBiLevel passenger coaches. The West Coast Express also operates anMPI MP36PH-3C andEMD F59PH for backup. The total fleet of passenger coaches numbers 44.[18] Each passenger carriage has aseating capacity of 144 people. Like many commuter railways, the West Coast Express usespush–pull operation; instead of moving the locomotive to the other end of the train, it is controlled remotely from asecond cab in the last passenger carriage, allowing the train to run 'backwards'; this occurs during mornings, as during afternoons the locomotive is at the front of train. Passenger amenities include washrooms, power outlets, wheelchair accessibility and space for bicycles.
The coaches and locomotives are maintained byVia Rail and, under the contract, operated by Alstom Transport Canada (formerly Bombardier Transportation) over tracks which belong to theCanadian Pacific Railway. Bombardier began a contract to operate the trains for the next five years, commencing on May 5, 2014.[19] After May 2014, track time is negotiated between TransLink and theCanadian Pacific Railway, which balances the use by the West Coast Express with its mainstay freight operation.[20][21]
TransLink's 2009 capital plan included upgrades to the Waterfront and Mission stations, and platform extensions to handle longer trains.[22] In the 2009 10-Year Plan, TransLink also proposed a number of other improvements to West Coast Express service,[23] some of the key improvements being:
The company committed to maintaining the 2011 service levels to 2014. TransLink has been criticized for the low ridership of the West Coast Express and supports its expansion.[24]
A 20-year service agreement between TransLink and the Canadian Pacific Railroad to operate the West Coast Express expired in 2015. Negotiations for renewal were initiated within the time period covered by this Base Plan. A fuller understanding of the future interaction of the service with the Evergreen Line is required, as well as an understanding of the overall market for long distance travel in the corridor. Accordingly, TransLink initiated the development of a West Coast Express Strategy in 2011 to consult with stakeholders and examine the issues. Completion of the strategy is expected in 2012, with subsequent implementation work expected to identify appropriate future service and infrastructure requirements.[25]
A proposal in the 2009 10-Year Plan for a new station inAlbion did not appear in the 2012 ten-year plan. Plans for a new station in northernBurnaby to service Simon Fraser University have been indefinitely postponed.
In 2021, the federal and provincial governments announced an upgrade program to extend the life of six of the seven locomotives used for the West Coast Express, with additional upgrades to improve efficiency and allow the future operation of longer trains.[26] The upgrades are expected to be completed by 2026.[27]
Bombardier Transportation has been awarded a C$17m ($16m) contract to provide train operations for TransLink's West Coast Express commuter rail system in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia (BC), Canada.
Media related toWest Coast Express at Wikimedia Commons
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