TransLink is apologizing for glitches with its long-awaited Compass Card, and is pleading with commuters to be patient as it works out the kinks in the system.

Monthly pass holders were required to switch from paper passes to the Compass Card as of January 1.

Some users say they have not been allowed to board trains and buses with the new cards, despite having a monthly pass loaded onto their card.

The problem appears to be a lag time between when people load money onto the cards and when that credit is registered.

“We are working with our contractor to resolve the issue and we should soon be back within a two-hour load time,” TransLink said in a statement emailed to CTV News.

The agency said more than 50,000 customers have loaded a monthly pass to their Compass Card in recent days and it expected that number to possibly double over the next week.

TransLink said it was being inundated by calls and emails as people transitioned to the new system.

“We want to assure customers we are doing everything we can to help them through this transition,” a spokesperson said.

Monday marked the first big test for the Compass Card users as thousands of people returned to the work after the holidays.

CTV Morning Live Reporter Nafeesa Karim said she was forced to help several people because they couldn’t figure out how to use their card.

“By and large it’s just a matter of people getting used to the tap in, tap out,” she said.

Both the Canada Line and SkyTrain experienced issues during the morning commute.

The Expo and Millennium lines were delayed after a train at Stadium Station experienced an unspecified door issue, and had to be manually driven out of the way.

Train safety alarms going off delayed service as well at several stations, and created large lineups.

On the Canada Line, a mechanical issue on a train near Brighouse Station shut down service around 5:30 a.m.

Shuttle service was set up for users between Marine and Oakridge stations, and a bus bridge between Bridgeport to Marine Dr. Station.