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Rail shutdown halts all West Coast Express service to and from Vancouver

TransLink has arranged for increased bus service to support passengers
Lindsay William-Ross
Lindsay William-Ross
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The West Coast Express is TransLink's commuter rail line connecting several hubs east of the city with downtown Vancouver at Waterfront StationPhoto courtesy of TransLink

A national rail shutdown has brought service to a halt on lines across Canada, and in Metro Vancouver that includes TransLink's West Coast Express commuter trains. 

In the culmination of months of increasingly bitter negotiations, Canadian National Railway Co. and Canadian Pacific Kansas City Ltd. (CPKC) locked out 9,300 engineers, conductors and yard workers after the parties disagreed on a new contract before the midnight deadline on Thursday (August 22).

The West Coast Express operates on rail owned by CPKC, and West Coast Express cannot operate without CPKC dispatchers and rail workers, TransLink explains. The dispute does not involve TransLink. 

In anticipation of a likely shutdown, TransLink has organized some alternative methods of transport, including increased bus service, for the over 3,000 daily customers who would normally catch the West Coast Express to commute to Waterfront Station in downtown Vancouver.

TransLink notes that the best option for WCE riders will vary depending on their point of origin or destination from the stations it serves.

Mission City or Port Haney stations:

  • Supplemental bus service is being provided to connect customers to and from SkyTrain at Coquitlam Central Station.
  • This supplemental bus service will leave from Mission City Station in the morning at 5:25, 5:55, 6:25, 6:55, and 7:25 a.m.
  • Buses will then leave from Port Haney Station at approximately 5:53, 6:23, 6:53, 7:23, and 7:53 a.m. Times may vary depending on traffic.
  • In the afternoon, the return buses will leave from Coquitlam Central Station at 4:50, 5:20, 5:50, 6:30, and 7:20 p.m.

Port Coquitlam, Pitt Meadows, or Maple Meadows stations:

  • The R3, Route 701, or 791 are the best alternatives to connect to SkyTrain at Coquitlam Central Station.
  • Customers at Port Coquitlam Station could also take routes 159, 160, 173, 174, or 175 to connect with SkyTrain.

Port Moody or Coquitlam Central stations:

  • Taking the Millennium Line and transferring to the Expo Line at Commercial–Broadway Station is the best alternative.

Service on the West Coast Express will remain suspended until the CPKC job action ends. 

WCE customers are advised to keep up to date with developments by signing up for personalized real-time Transit Alerts online and selecting West Coast Express; updates can be delivered to your phone or email. TransLink's Buzzer Blog also has a webpage for WCE service updates. 

With a file from the Canadian Press