Stanley Park Train expected to re-open for Bright Nights, officials say
The Stanley Park Train is on track to re-open for this year’s Bright Nights event, according to the City of Vancouver.
“It’s back, baby!” an excited Mayor Ken Sim cheered at a news conference Monday.
"We understand how cherished Bright Nights is for Vancouver families, and we are delighted that the train will be a feature of this event,” Sim added. “We appreciate the patience and support of the community as the train’s restoration work was completed. We are excited for families to come and enjoy Bright Nights and create memories for years to come."
The train still has to pass its final inspection, but city and parks staff are confident it will be full steam ahead – so much so tickets go on sale this Thursday, with the first ride scheduled for Nov. 30.
“Our commitment to safety is utmost in this,” Vancouver Park Board general manager Steve Jackson said. “We wouldn’t be opening if we didn’t believe the train was safe and of course we wouldn’t be opening if (Technical Safety BC) didn’t give us certification to operate.”
It has been a rocky road for the train over the last four years.
The train was sidelined in 2020 for COVID-19 considerations, but re-opened for the 2021 Bright Nights event.
It was then parked again in 2022 after failing a technical inspection.
The work to fix it wasn’t easy, or cheap.
City officials said supply chain issues along with the age of the train, with some equipment more than 60 years old, made the process a difficult one.
The total repair bill was $650,000, according to the city, $500,000 of which came from donations while the city covered the remainder.
The mayor said the support of those donors is the driving force behind why the train is able to open for the holiday season.
“Going forward, we’ve got a commitment now to keep this train operational,” said Jackson. “The work we’ve done this year is going to give us, hopefully, a good runway here and we’re looking forward to bringing some additional locomotives online next year as we continue to invest in this asset.”
The final safety inspection for the train is scheduled for Nov. 27.
Bright Nights is the largest fundraiser supporting the BC Professional Fire Fighters' Burn Fund.
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