SkyTrain (Vancouver)

The SkyTrain is a special train system.

It has no driver. The trains move on their own. They can go high in the air. They can also go under the ground.

Some tracks are very high up. This lets riders see the whole city. One track crosses a big river. It uses a long bridge to do this.

There are three main lines. One line goes to the airport.

This helps people travel easily. Many people use these trains every day.

At the stations, you can buy tickets. You can use cash or cards. Some people use special cards to pay. This helps everyone get on the train.

Workers are there to help you. They can give you directions. They also keep the trains safe. It is a great way to travel.

SkyTrain is a fast train system in Canada. It serves the Metro Vancouver area. The trains are fully automated. This means they are driverless.

They run on tracks that are either underground or high in the air. This helps the trains stay on time.

There are three main lines. The Expo Line was built in 1985. It has 24 stations. The Millennium Line has 17 stations.

The Canada Line opened in 2009. It has 15 stations. It even goes to the airport!

SkyTrain uses a special bridge to cross the Fraser River. This is called the SkyBridge. It is a very long bridge that only carries trains.

At the stations, you can buy tickets with cash or cards. You can use a machine to buy them. SkyTrain workers are also there to help. They can give directions or help in an emergency. They even drive the trains by hand if they need to.

SkyTrain is a fast way to travel in Metro Vancouver, Canada. It is a medium-capacity rapid transit system. This means it can carry many people quickly. The trains are fully automated, so they do not have drivers. They run on tracks that are either underground or high in the air. These paths are called grade-separated guideways. Because the tracks are separate from cars, the trains are very reliable. They almost always arrive on time for their passengers.

The system works by using different types of tracks and trains. The Expo and Millennium Lines use special motors called linear induction motors. The Canada Line is a bit different. Its Hyundai Rotem trains use regular electric motors. To cross the huge Fraser River, the system uses the SkyBridge. This is the world's third-longest cable-supported bridge built only for transit. Passengers pay for their trips using a fare system. You can buy tickets at machines using cash or cards.

Once you pay, you pass through fare gates to enter the station.

People first began using the Expo Line in 1985. It was built in time for a big event called Expo 86. The name "SkyTrain" was actually created during that time. This was because the tracks sit high in the air. This lets passengers see beautiful views of the city.

The Millennium Line opened later, in 2002. The Canada Line was the newest major part, opening on August 17, 2009. Each line was built to help more people move around the region. Over the years, the tracks have grown much longer.

Today, the SkyTrain network is very large and busy. It has 54 stations across three different lines. The Expo Line has 24 stations and runs to Surrey. The Millennium Line has 17 stations and goes to Coquitlam. The Canada Line has 15 stations and reaches the airport. In 2016, SkyTrain became the longest fully automated system in the world. It was also the longest rapid transit system in all of Canada. Many people use it every single day to get to work or school.

You can think of SkyTrain as a giant web connecting many places.

It links different cities like Vancouver, Richmond, and Surrey together. Just like a road carries cars, these tracks carry people. If you have ever seen a train on a high bridge, that is like the SkyBridge. The stations act like meeting spots where people change lines. You might start on the Expo Line and switch to the Millennium Line. This makes traveling through a big area much easier for everyone.

SkyTrain is a medium-capacity rapid transit system serving the Metro Vancouver region in British Columbia, Canada. It is a highly efficient way to move large numbers of people across a metropolitan area. The system uses fully automated, driverless trains that run on grade-separated tracks. These tracks are either underground or elevated on guideways, meaning they are physically separated from car traffic and pedestrians. This separation is why SkyTrain maintains consistently high on-time reliability. The name "SkyTrain" was coined during Expo 86 because the first line, the Expo Line, runs primarily on elevated guideways. This design offers passengers panoramic views of the metropolitan area as they travel.

The system operates through a complex network of tracks and specialized technology. The Expo and Millennium Lines utilize linear induction motor technology to move their trains. In contrast, the Canada Line uses a different approach with conventional electric motors.

The Canada Line's trains were built by Hyundai Rotem and feature a different design than the Bombardier-built fleet used on other lines. Because of these different technologies, the Canada Line tracks do not interconnect with the rest of the SkyTrain network. To cross the Fraser River, the system utilizes the SkyBridge. This is the world's third-longest cable-supported transit-only bridge.

The SkyTrain network is divided into three distinct lines: the Expo Line, the Millennium Line, and the Canada Line. The Expo Line is the oldest, having been built in 1985 for Expo 86. It currently serves 24 stations, connecting Waterfront station in Vancouver to King George station in Surrey. The Millennium Line opened in 2002 and consists of 17 stations. It connects VCC–Clark station in Vancouver to Lafarge Lake–Douglas station in Coquitlam. The Canada Line opened on August 17, 2009, and adds 15 stations to the network. It begins at Waterfront station and travels south through Vancouver to Richmond and Sea Island. This line includes a branch that reaches the YVR–Airport station at Vancouver International Airport.

History shows how the system has expanded significantly over several decades. The Expo Line originally only ran as far as New Westminster station. It was extended to Columbia station in 1989 and across the Fraser River to Scott Road in 1990. By 1994, the line reached its current terminus at King George station. The Millennium Line saw major growth with the Evergreen Extension. This extension, which opened on December 2, 2016, added six new stations. This specific opening was a major milestone for the system.

SkyTrain's growth has made it a leader in automated transit. With the opening of the Evergreen Extension in 2016, SkyTrain became the longest rapid transit system in Canada. At that time, it was also the longest fully automated driverless system in the world. While the total lengths of the Shanghai Metro, Singapore MRT, Kuala Lumpur Rapid KL, Dubai Metro, and Riyadh Metro have since surpassed it, SkyTrain remains a massive operation. As of 2015, the system had an annual ridership of 230 million people. This averages to about 700,000 riders per weekday. This high volume makes it the 7th busiest metro system in North America.

Managing such a large system requires organized fare collection and safety measures. Passengers pay fares using a system divided into three zones. Fares vary based on how many zone boundaries a rider crosses. Customers can purchase tickets at self-serve machines using cash, debit, or credit cards.

For many years, the system used a "proof-of-payment" method without fare gates. This meant riders were checked by random inspections by police or SkyTrain attendants. However, to reduce fare evasion, which was estimated at $4 million annually in 2005, the system transitioned to a gated-ticket system. Construction on these fare gates was completed in 2014, and they became fully operational by April 2016.

SkyTrain is an integrated part of the broader regional transportation system managed by TransLink. While the Expo and Millennium Lines are operated by the British Columbia Rapid Transit Company, the Canada Line is operated by a private concessionaire called ProTrans BC. Even with different operators, they share a fare system with other local transit services. SkyTrain attendants, or STAs, provide essential support by offering directions, first aid, and emergency response. They also monitor for train faults and can operate trains manually if necessary. This interconnectedness allows commuters to move seamlessly between different lines and modes of transport throughout the Metro Vancouver region.