Metro Vancouver transit users experienced delays across the region as a technical issue and heavy snowfall affected SkyTrains and bus routes.

TransLink announced Friday morning that a power outage at Bridgeport Station meant Canada Line trains were turning back at Marine Drive. The transit operator later said the issue was due to a compressor on a train, and was not related to the weather.

Long lines formed at the station where passengers – some of whom were trying to get to the airport – had to wait to cram themselves into packed train cars.

Shuttle trains were brought in to help get people reach further stations in Richmond. Service was back up within about two hours, but residual delays were expected into the afternoon.

The Expo and Millenium lines were unaffected by the outage, and the SeaBus and West Coast Express were operating as usual.

While some weather-related issues can be expected, passengers voiced their concerns that they didn't know what was going on, and announcements made over station speakers were hard to hear.

"I wish they had better communication," one person said.

TransLink insisted comprehensive plans are in place during weather events, including extra staffing to monitor train tracks for possible issues. During times of heavy snow, clumps on the tracks can trigger intrusion alarms and stop trains. Staff are monitoring the trains so they can turn off the alarms as required.

"We are fully prepared to manage the storm and snow as best we can," said CEO Kevin Desmond.

That includes lessons learned during an unusually snowy 2016-17 winter.

New this year, the Canada Line has heat tracing on sections of the power rail where heavy ice build-up has historically been an issue. De-icer spray trains are also used to keep the rails free of ice, and covered areas and tunnels to prevent ice and snow compacts on the trains.

Trolley bus wires are sprayed by de-icing trucks when needed, and bus operators have a snow/ice switch that gives better traction when required. TransLink also switches out articulated buses for traditional buses in icy areas where the larger vehicles struggle during storms.

Tire "socks" were introduced on buses this winter – textured cloth tire covers meant to give vehicles a bit more grip on slippery streets.

"This is the most significant snow we're probably getting this season. It's a drier snow so we're going to be very eager to see how the tire socks work going up to SFU on Burnaby Mountain," Desmond said.

Yet when CTV News went out looking for signs of the socks in action at Simon Fraser University, they were nowhere to be seen.

Instead, buses were seen stuck on the mountain, and students whose classes were cancelled were forced to walk down the hill in the snow. Some students said they'd waited as long as an hour for a bus before making the trek.

"It's good because you don't have to go to the gym. Leg day is right here walking down the hill," one student joked.

When issues with the hill became obvious, all service was halted at Hastings and Duthie and shuttles were brought in to bring people to the university. TransLink said five buses with socks were running up and down Burnaby Mountain later in the afternoon.

Bus issues were reported across Metro Vancouver, with many routes reporting delays and detours through the day. Affected routes include the 246, 183, 99, 84, 22, 20, 16, and 4, and TransLink said at one point there was no bus service at all operating in West Vancouver north of Marine Drive.

Only HandyDART's essential services are operating Friday because of the forecast.

TransLink said crews will continue to salt and sand bus loops and the areas around SkyTrain stations. Meanwhile, customers are asked to monitor TransLink updates on Twitter or on the service provider's website until the winter storm has passed. 

The transit issues came at the same time as TransLink announced more than two dozen additional SkyTrain cars would be arriving earlier than expected. The 28 cars, which will be brought in to relieve rush-hour congestion, will be available by the end of 2019 instead of 2022.

A total of 80 new cars are expected to be running by the end of 2020, at a cost of about $298 million.

With a report from CTV Vancouver's Breanna Karstens-Smith