InTransitBC

Simply the cleanest and most efficient city line, getting you from downtown Vancouver to the airport in under 25 minutes with only 13 stops.
Convenient locations, easy ticketing kiosks, and a fast and effective solution to not diving and paying for parking! Well done Vancouver!

The Canada Line is an efficient line that takes you from the airport or Richmond to downtown, with cell service in the tunnels. If that’s all you care about, it does its job. However, look deeper and you’ll see several flaws with the line.
You may notice the two southern terminus stations are both single track. This would provide major difficulty in expanding service once the line is at capacity… which it actually is very close to (if not already). Therefore Canada Line cannot operate at anything higher than a 2 min frequency (Expo/​Millennium Lines can operate at 30 second frequencies).
The stations are also small. Two-​car trains are barely the size of an articulated TTC streetcar in Toronto. Unlike the Skytrain, they can’t go 4 or 6 car trains due to the size limitations.
Finally…the tunnels squeak like hell, especially by King Edward. Some TLC along the tracks certainly would help.
With no buses directly heading from Richmond to Vancouver anymore during the day, the Canada Line is the only option for those travellers. Considering it’s pretty much reaching capacity, I’ll be interested to see how this line survives in the next decade.

Amazingly, clean, safe and efficient.
This is a crowning jewel in Vancouver, left from the 2010 Olympics.
Wider then the original Expo line and Millennium lines. Lots of room for the luggage on the way to YVR. The train also has one stop that is at River Rock casino, so if you have time…

Yes, I’m being generous because compared to the European and Asian ones, which is kinda unfair since they need to have the top of the line enhancements given their huge populations, but for «Canadian», it’s pretty good.
Obviously very modern, safe, and clean, and I use it every few months if need be. I wait til 6:30pm to avoid the 2-​zone ding. Hey, my tax dollars at work so might as well use it. In fact, when my meetings are all over DT, and need to go to Richmond or along the line, I invest in an all day ride pass for $ 8 or so, it’s a lot cheaper than parking in DT. Heck, my parking is as much as a car payment but I digress.
And it’s nice to see lots of security here to check the fares.

Great way to get to the city from the airport, but what’s up with the airport improvement tax ?? 9 $ from the airport and 4 $ back !! Guess Canadians finally took a lesson from their American neighbors using tourists to fund their improvements ! But either way I found it safe and a cheaper than a taxi to get in and out of the city, if you have quite a bit of luggage tho, I don’t recommend because the stations are a bit spread out and depending where your hotel is, it can be grueling journey either up or down hill ! But with one sturdy rolling bag you should be fine !

Being from LA where our public transportation is almost nil, I loved and appreciated this line. My brother and I went on a cruise that ended in Vancouver, and we needed to fly home. There is an underground stop right across the street from the cruise terminal (Waterfront), and for $ 4, it took us right up to the YVR airport in about 20 minutes. It sure beats the $ 40 per person the cruise ship wanted to bus us to the airport! Make sure to take the YVR train or else you will have to get off the train and transfer.
As a Walking Dead fan, it scared me because on the train, it kept saying that the last stop was «TERMINUS». All roads lead to Terminus!

I am learning to appreciate the Canada Line a lot more, especially since there are a lot of eateries on my Unilocal bucket list that are easily accessible now that the CL line is in place going to Richmond.
My best friend and I go out of town yearly on holidays, therefore, the CL has saved us around $ 70 in cab fair.
There is a station right in front of YVR in which you can actually check in. Same goes for leaving as well, saves me $ 70 going home.
I have the tendancy, my booking nature to somehow land in the middle of rush hour going home. Idealing in traffic with a cab is to $$$, however, for $ 3.75 I can be home faster. I get off at Marine Drive station and connect with the 100… easy as pie.
I also appreciate that there is finally a line that stops right in front of the River Rock casino so that I can see more shows there. Once again, Valet at the casino, gas and traffic to Richmond is almost ¾ of the ticket price to see a show at the River Rock.
It takes me 20 minutes from home on the CL line to the River Rock and back vs. 40 minuets by car (traffic depending). Once again I just off at Marine Drive and take the 100.
Be careful when taking the CL line from the airport, an extra fee is charged when you buy your train ticket from YVR. Just hop on the train and get off at the next station and buy your ticket there. It’s a scam to get unsuspecting tourists who don’t know better to pay more than they need to for the Canada Line. I have called the Transit authority many times on this.
I got caught once coming from LA to Vancouver on the CL and before the officer tried to ticket me I told him to shove it and that what YVR was actually doing was against the consumer law and deciptful. I also proved to him with my toonie and quarters in hand that I had the intention of getting a bus ticket at the intended rate as specified for the line AT THE FOLLOWING STOP.
Don’t be bullied by the police, they have a quota to make issuing tickets and are aware that the fee deception of buying your ticket from the YVR station is semi-​illegal. Get the ticket, fight it in court and it will be dismissed easily. They are there to intimade tourists.
Tourists if you’re reading this check translink’s site for proper rates or buy pre-​paid fair tickets inside the airport at the news stand.
I have gone up to many confused out of country tourists to inform them of this and were ever so greatful. I’ve even gone as far as giving them a few of my spare 1 zone tickets. Vancouver hospitality gives a lasting impression for them to take home in their country.
Kudos to the guys in the green outfits, they’re very helpful with customers on the CL line.

this line should be known as PRIVATE transportation (SNC– Lavalin), not «public».
Especially the «add fare» premium applied to the line.
It’s bad enough that they use public (tax) funds from which they built the line, maintain it and pay their private salaries, but then they pay people more money to collect the tolls than the amount of tolls they expect to ‘recover’.
Not satisfied there, they– and Translink– got together and decided on the harebrained idea of wasting yet even MORE taxpayer dollars on «compass” — which will NEVER see a profit, and in fact will continue to be a perpetual MONEY PIT!
historically, tolls and levies, etc. were leveraged on citizens in various countries, not to PROMOTE travel, but as a form of RESTRICTION.
You will be happy to note that our current Charter is a Document which is an evolution of various older documents from the UK which were nought ever to have been Exceeded (the Rights granted could only have been broadened, thus limiting the power of the Crown and State), and one of the oldest precepts of this Great Charter was that the Right of Mobility within the Realm.
MAKE TRANSIT PUBLIC– AGAIN!

As mass transit goes, the Canada Line is pretty damn decent. First, if you’ve ever ridden the MRSA-​infected cesspool that is a BART train, these are chariots of sterile glory in comparison. Yay for non-​cloth seats! But that’s not just it. Everything here seems to be decently clean and efficient. The small trains whisk you from the airport to downtown for $ 9CDN and while there are not a ton of stops in the core, there are a couple that make for convenient exit points.
The only real drawback? $ 9 to get downtown! Back home in Portland the MAX gets me there for $ 2.50 (with many more options for stops). I know everything is more expensive up here, but damn, gina.
Otherwise, it’s a great service.

Oh how I laugh at the Canada Line.
You are supposed to bring Vancouver into the future! HA. and may i say HA HA.
Where I live they are planning 2,800 more residential units. Look at MArine and other projects currently going on, on or near, the Canada LIne. MOre building = more people. Canada Line is NOT prepared to handle much more than it handles now.
It might have worked during the Olympics, but why oh why they did not:
1. make the stations Colourful and distinct. They all look the same.
2. Up AND down escalator. What if one is out of order?
3. That same «station light map» that they have on Expo/​Millenium line cars
4. No ticket agents. Simply wandering people in Green shirts, usually there to impart the great news that the next train is out of service (oh, AND the next one. Did I mention it is a friday night?)
5. Two cars. Only two cars on a train?
Oh and just one more thing… the lack of upper rails for people to hold. It creates crowding around the yellow pole as it is the only thing to hold on to. That creates even more difficulty getting on and off the train in a timely fashion (aka:before the doors automatically close) Pics included!
Sorry, all these other reviews were written when it first opened, but as a person who frequently uses the Line and has used transit all my life, I see way too many mistakes made on this line. If the only constant thing in this city is population increase they were NOT thinking ahead for this one. #sorrynotsorry
+1 for Wifi.
edit: Thank you to those who informed me that station can be expanded and a third car added. Thanks again.

We took the Canada line from Richmond to the waterfront. Then the seabus over to North Vancouver to see some friends.
We purchased an all day pass for $ 9.75 CAD. Credit or debit card accepted at the ticket machine. Includes the sky train and the seabus.
What we noticed was that no one monitored the gates. And the gates were wide opened. This was strictly the honor system. Later in Fall 2013 there will be gates where you need to tap your ticket in order to get into the station. Very similar to BART and Muni Metro systems.
We came back via the reverse direction.

Clean and fast, with conveniently located stops from Brighouse and YVR to Waterfront. The trains start running daily around 4:45am, which is really handy when you have to catch an early morning flight. Service is frequent and the fares are relatively cheap ($ 2.75 for 1 zone, $ 4 for 2 zones), considering the level of service you’re getting. It’s not usually crowded unless you hit it in rush hour, in which case be prepared to be smushed up against the windows like sardines.
Oh and can I just reiterate how CLEAN it is? Cleanest transit line I’ve ever encountered, and believe me I’ve been around. A much more pleasant ride than the Millennium or Expo lines.
Gated entry is coming in the fall to prevent fare evasion. Freeloaders, consider yourself warned!

Oh, the Canada Line, the crème de la crème of metro Vancouver’s transit system.
Many major airports have trains from the airport to the city and it was about time for Vancouver to get one too. I remember taking the 98 B-​Line from Richmond to Vancouver (pre-​2009) and the Canada Line is such an enormous improvement.
The train cars are roomy and the seats are spaced far enough apart to allow passengers going to and from the airport to sit with their carry-​on luggage. There is an open area which makes it easy for passengers bring larger luggage along as well. The open area of the train car also has a designated area for cyclists and makes the Canada Line more easily wheelchair accessible than the bus or the Millennium and Expo SkyTrain lines.
The best part is the travel time; I can commute from Bridgeport Station (River Rock Casino) to Vancouver City Centre (West Georgia and Granville) in 17 minutes!
TransLink, inTransitBC, and ProTrans BC — Please, please, please consider extending the hours of operation for the Canada Line by at least another hour. The last train from Waterfront to YVR is at 1:05AM and the last one to Richmond-​Brighouse is 1:15AM. That’s too early for those taking red-​eye flights and party people.
P. S. Tall people, there’s a bar on the ceiling that you can hold onto. Please let the short people (e.g. me) hold onto the vertical poles; we can’t reach the bar on the ceiling.
#30DaysOfYelp ⁸⁄₃₀

Canada Line: is it just me, or is everyone reminded of that Simpsons monorail episode? Not that the Canada Line is a financial rip-​off, or even that there are funny wombats living in the electrical system, it’s just a reminder is all. Mostly that the Simpsons, despite how lame and redundant they’ve become, are a natural part of our language, just as Canada Line has also become a pretty familiar part of the Vancouver lexicon.
But, that’s neither here nor there. We’re talking about the Canada Line, also known as the Skytrain, for godknows what reason. Because, you guys: we are rarely, if ever, in the sky while riding this line. There is barely any sky with this train ride. This is the Canada Line, not the Skytrain. It’s the fancy version of our already fancy public transit system. It’s the wiggly worm that will carry you from the airport to Gastown in less than half an hour during rush hour. It’s clean. It’s spacious. It’s frequent.
I love the Canada Line. It seems legit, in the grand international scheme of things.
So get your act together, City of Vancouver and Translink, and get this bad boy going more hours of the day (like at least 20), and you’ve got a 5-​star international ride on your hands.

As former BART rider (Bay Area Rapid Transit) and current The Bus (Honolulu) rider, I gotta say that this is a damn clean, safe and efficient way to get around Vancouver. Thanks local Elite, Edward L for reassuring me that it’s safe to take kids around on this.
My family was staying right by Bridgeport Station and to get to and from the big malls of Richmond, BC and into downtown Vancouver was so easy and quick. It took us about 15 – 20 mins from our hotel to our downtown Vancouver destination. And the buses are clean, too! And YES, how friggin’ hilarious that all they have separating the paying and non-​paying patrons is a yellow line, right after the ticket kiosks, that says, «Only ticketed passengers beyond this point.» LOL! Yeah, that’d be so effin’ abused in America! Blast me for not taking pictures coz no one in America would believe me! Arrrrr… But of course we paid our fare, it is an honor system after all. =)
As an American we’re used to the «coloful» people and smells that our public transit attracts (who’s rode the NYC subway in late July? or BART with those nasty fabric seats from 1979?). So to me, the SkyTrain/​Canada Line was as safe and clean as the monorail at Disneyland. It’s very sterile looking inside, all plastic seats and metal bars. More standing room than seats however.
Not to repeat other folks, but for those out of towners pondering if they want to ride this or take a rental car around, I say just jump on the train and save yourself the headache and wallet strain of trying to find parking. No better way in seeing the city and local lives then getting on the local train. Here’s my recap:
Pros:
–Affordable, clean, efficient, safe
–Good bus transfers and connections. Was super easy to get from place to place
–Lot’s of stations/​bus stops; the city is connected to the suburbs.
–Automated everything, there are no «humans» running any booths or even the train.
–That yellow line… hahahahaha
–Discounts for youths and seniors
Cons:
–Like any metropolis during rush hour, it will get packed and busy during the commuter times.
Tips:
–If you get a day pass (that can be used on all public transportation — buses, ferries etc) it’s only until midnight and not 24 hours.
–Although there is no one checking tickets at the train stations, the bus drivers do check your tickets.
–If you’re a tourist, you could take your luggage on here, too but I’d make sure its not rush hour time coz then you’d feel pretty shame, clogging up the space. Not to mention the only one doing that.

Zoom zoom zoom — quicker than a broom — or Lexus in rush hour…
Today was a BIZZZY day, Thank God Thank God for Canada line to zoom me around since I sold my car last summer. I don’t miss it a bit!
Of all three lines Expo (ghetto stations), millennium (less ghetto stations) and Canada line… I choose you Canada line! Maybe it’s cos you bring me to Rich-​City and holiday locations.
g

I have to give a clear thumbs up to this Skytrain line, as maybe because I work along it, for others who are off the strectch they may say less! My work is located pretty close to the Oakridge Skytrain station, and occasionally I sometimes go to downtown, maybe to see client, maybe to see my significant other, or maybe just to waste a good lunch hour, whatever I am doing, it is nice to know that there is a line like this that runs from downtown Vancouver to Richmond City Centre.
It is quick, clean, and convenient, I do not know about the ‘unfair’ prices at YVR compared to the other stops, but that being said, the trains are different compared to the old line, as they are wider, less seats, so people with big luggage are also well accomodated. We have to thank the Olympics for this, as even our Canadian counterparts in Toronto don’t have a public train from their airport to the heart of downtown in half an hour!
There are some big gaps that don’t help out the riders on this line, and that would be the stretch of King Edward Station and Oakridge, anyone living in the middle is kinda wondering where do you get off and walk home, and it is not a short walk either! Some other weird, not well thought out designs, one of them that is, is the Oakridge station stop, where you have to go under the tracks to get to the train going Northbound? And you couldn’t create an exit/​entrance to the stop on the east end of Cambie street?
Most stops now have a Jugo Juice in them, talk about partnering up, but at least you have a food option in these places. It is a great alternative instead of driving. When I use it, I quite like it, if you haven’t, give it a try, especially to the last destinations like downtown, or the airport, where you don’t have to worry about parking your vehicle, or wrestling through traffic.

This review is for ⁰¹⁄₁₂ 012 to 01/​03/​2012. I am starting to miss Vancouver and I miss it a lot. Being in Los Angeles for so long made me think that there is another city like it, but in another country. I love Los Angeles’ Gold and Red Line, but its nothing like Vancouver’s own, Canada Line.
I am still confused if the whole systems is called SkyTrain or if SkyTrain is considered a line. Vancouver just amazes me on how they operate their transit system and always building more for convenience. Whether you are entering from Waterfront, YVR (Vancouver International Airport), or Vancouver City Centre Drive, its the most convenient method of traveling throughout Vancouver-​Richmond all for $ 9. I guess Herman Cain’s 9−9−9 Plan did work out for just the $ 9 Day Pass in Canada.
I took the Canada Line to multiple places, but again, I am still trying to understand which line I took. I do know that Canada Line did take me from Granville to the YVR on my last day. It was convenient and hassle-​free. Next time I am going to Downtown Vancouver and staying at the SameSun Backpackers Lodge, I am taking the Canada Line to Granville.
I guess I am leaving out one important item about SkyTrains. The trains are operated automatically. Yup, No Driver. I was surprised and blown out of my mind. These trains are on time, frequent, and trouble-​free. Literally, I thought the United States was a developing country than a developed country. Do I belong here? lol. A world not reliant on cars, but on electricity. I don’t know how TransLink does it, but they are way ahead of the public transportation game. I may have to find a way to work for this prestigious organization.
Unilocal is My Review, My Story, and My Life. Its time to share it.

Finally, a decent way to get from downtown Vancouver. Sure we’re all paying through the nose for this line, but I’m sure most people would agree that this line is WAY overdue. With that said, I still can’t believe they had to tear up those brand new bus lanes running (they were there for less than 2 years) down No.3 Road.
The stations are nice and clean, though their size leaves much to be desired. There is barely enough room to stand around on the platforms. The trains are wider than those of the Expo line, but they’re also much shorter (2 cars instead of 4). Also you can tell they cheaped out when the stations on the Richmond side literally jut out onto the freaking street. Would it really have cost that much more to slide the entire station 3m to one side?
One thing I always like to do is sit at the front of the trains and look out the front window. If you haven’t done this before, it’s actually pretty cool.
The biggest complaint I have about the Canada Line is the fact that the trains only run every 10 minutes or so. Compare that to the Expo Line (1 every 2 minutes) during rush hour. Having the signs that show the ETA of the next train is nice, but it really sucks when you look up and see that you still have to wait 7 minutes. And this is assuming you’re not going to Richmond, because now there’s a chance you’re going to wait (literally) twice as long.
With that said, the YVR leg is awesome. Vancouver is now the only Canadian city to have a direct rapid transit link to the downtown core. I’m sure many of the cabbies out there aren’t too happy about this.
Give it a try, you won’t be disappointed.

Not having a car and living downtown means relying on public transit to keep me connected to the real world. Before this fantastic line existed, husband and I would settle into a regular Sunday routine of dim sum in Chitown. It’s not a bad thing, but it gets boring, you know?
So once this line opened, I swear we rode it for an entire Sunday and got off at each stop and went outside to see what was there. It’s like that episode from the Simpsons where the kids step outside of their homes for the first time in ages and rub their eyes from the bright sunlight and stuff? Sort of like that.
Now that this line exists, I wake up every Sunday excited with possibilities for food. Now it’s not just dim sum, but Shanghainese, HK Café, Taiwanese noodles, and wonton mein. The rides are always comfortable, standing or sitting, and it’s quiet so we can nap if we want, or listen to music with our headphones on without having to turn the volume up to «earbleed».
I love you Canada Line. You’ve only ever had a sudden stop once, and immediately at the next stop a Translink person came in and checked to make sure we’re okay.
The only beef I have is your Airport fee. It sucks that every time I travel I have to remember to have a faresaver ticket on hand, otherwise I get ripped off at the YVR station. $ 8 for a ticket?! That’s pretty unfair. I know you’re trying to make money and all, and I’m usually cool with paying it because hey, it’s my fault I forgot to bring an extra ticket. But when family or friends come for a visit, that’s always the first thing I hear if I don’t meet them at the airport: «I had to buy a ticket to get on the train to meet you, and it cost me $ 8! You’re buying me a beer!» *sigh* Every. Time.