SkyTrain service restored after downtown shutdown
Posted November 24, 2015 11:04 pm.
Last Updated November 25, 2015 9:40 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — Several hours of disrupted SkyTrain service in Vancouver’s core ended shortly after 11 p.m. Tuesday.
The stoppages affected Expo and Millennium lines between Waterfront and Broadway Stations for nearly eight hours.
Ann Drennan from TransLink says it was the power collector equipment on one train in particular was damaged, causing a power outage on part of the tracks between Main and Waterfront stations.
She adds engineers think the system is exactly as it should be and passengers shouldn’t see another disruption.
SkyTrain technology is from the 1980s.
TransLink issued 31 shuttle buses to help move stranded passengers to their destinations.
Cathy McLay, interim CEO of TransLink, used the term ‘unacceptable’ as she apologized for the breakdown.
She was asked by reporters if the shutdown meant infrastructure upgrades were needed.
“Our Expo Line is 30 years old and when you have an aging infrastructure system, the maintenance protocols are rigorous and I can rest assured that we do have a very rigorous maintenance program. We keep our assets in a state of good repair. We follow all our regulatory requirements on it, however with an aging infrastructure you will get breakages unfortunately,” McLay said.
SkyTrain users scold TransLink in latest shutdown
Cell phone gazing, like many others trying to map an alternate way home, Josh Ngyan says he is fed up with TransLink. Passengers said Tuesday’s outage was just the latest of many problems in the service.
“TransLink needs to fix their systems. People are paying almost $200 a month just so they can take three zones and the SkyTrains aren’t even working? Come on. Lower your fees or fix the problems,” Nghyen said.
Another traveler, stuck in the cold at Main Street Station during the evening rush, said he’s become used to disruptions as they’re now just his “usual chaos.”
Some habitual transit users told NEWS 1130’s Stephanie Froese they believe maintenance during busy day hours, rain on the tracks and aging infrastructure appear to be the most common catalysts of disruptions.
“They always seem to have so many disruptions though the year, we haven’t even got into December yet,” one man said, indicating his usual five-minute trip home had to be swapped with a 30 minute bus ride.
Another transit user said things like this make driving in rush-hour traffic more attractive.
Scolding as well as praise for the service workers was prominent on social media:
