Transit users are being warned to expect lengthy delays on the SkyTrain this weekend and next as crews perform rail replacement work.
TransLink said major sections of its 30-year-old tracks need to be replaced to keep the system “safe and reliable,” so passengers are urged to plan for at least 20 minutes of extra travel time.
The delays will start at 11 p.m. Friday and last throughout Aug. 30, then return on Sept. 5 and continue until the end of Labour Day Monday.
Many riders were frustrated by the news, particularly given that TransLink has argued for years it can’t run trains later at night because it needs those overnight hours for maintenance.
Peter Fassbender, the minister responsible for TransLink, told CTV News the work has to be done some time.
“They want to be vigilant and make sure that they do preventative maintenance on a schedule that will ensure the integrity of the system,” Fassbender said.
“They make those management decisions based on what they know they need to do to perhaps prevent even stronger disruptions if something was to break down.”
This weekend, trains will only be using a single track at Edmonds and Royal Oak stations. Next weekend, trains will be on a single track at a Commercial-Broadway and Main Street-Science World stations.
The Millennium Line will only operate between VCC-Clark and Columbia stations on both weekends.
SkyTrain attendants will be on hand to answer questions about the work, TransLink said.
For more information on the delays, visit the TransLink website.
With a report from CTV Vancouver’s Peter Grainger
