VANCOUVER – The two sides in the Metro Vancouver transit strike are heading back to the bargaining table Wednesday – but the impact on commuters is expected to continue for at least another day.

TransLink said it's bracing for 10 more cancelled SeaBus trips beginning at 4:10 p.m., hours after talks are scheduled to resume for the first time in almost two weeks.

There could also be diminished service on some regular bus routes, though TransLink has warned those are nearly impossible to predict. On Tuesday, nine routes were impacted in Vancouver, New Westminster, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Richmond and Maple Ridge.

Bargaining between Coast Mountain Bus Company and the bus workers' union is expected to begin around 9:30 a.m. Wednesday at the Sheraton Vancouver Guildford Hotel in Surrey.

Unifor's western regional director, Gavin McGarrigle, has said the strike can be resolved in "a matter of hours" if the employer comes to the table with a serious offer – but he also warned the union's job action will escalate if a deal isn't reached by Friday.

The next stage will be a ban on overtime hours for bus operators, which McGarrigle estimated would affect as many as 15 per cent of trips.

The full list of cancelled SeaBus trips expected on Wednesday includes:

  • 4:10 p.m. from Lonsdale Quay
  • 4:25 p.m. from Waterfront Station
  • 5 p.m. from Lonsdale Quay
  • 5:15 p.m. from Waterfront Station
  • 6 p.m. from Lonsdale Quay
  • 6:15 p.m. from Waterfront Station
  • 7:32 p.m. from Lonsdale Quay
  • 7:46 p.m. from Waterfront Station
  • 8:47 p.m. from Lonsdale Quay
  • 9:01 p.m. from Waterfront Station