Stanley Park's Halloween train cancelled for 4th year in a row

Yet again, the Stanley Park Ghost Train will be absent from this year’s Halloween festivities, the Vancouver Park Board announced Wednesday.

The cancellation marks the fourth year in a row the beloved miniature train attraction won’t be running.

The park board axed the Ghost Train last year after it failed a technical inspection and needed repairs. Officials said at the time that the vintage train would be back up and running by the 2022 winter holiday season, but Christmas came and went without the maintenance being complete.

“Over the past year, the Park Board has been steadfast in its commitment to bringing the train back into service following its temporary closure. This work involved a comprehensive assessment and a thorough analysis of the ride system,” the board wrote in a news release Wednesday.

“The vintage train equipment, some of which is more than 60 years old, requires specialized parts that are challenging to obtain.”

The park board said it has finally acquired the necessary parts to repair the train, and it is working to get it back in service as soon as possible.

It added the goal is to have the train ready by November, pending approval by Technical Safety B.C. That means the train could be back at last for the 2023 Bright Nights festival.

The park board said the train’s reopening date will be revealed in the coming weeks.

The Ghost Train was first cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Then in 2021, the event was halted because of coyote concerns in Stanley Park. This is the second year the train has been out of service due to maintenance needs.