The last of 48 new SkyTrains hit the tracks in Vancouver yesterday in time to begin service for the 2010 Games.
The new Bombardier MKII cars, the first of which went into service about a year ago, will boost service on the Expo and Millennium lines by 30 per cent, increasing the system’s hourly capacity to 15,000 people, up from 11,000.
“These cars will be a crucial element to delivering an exciting Olympic Games,” said Doug Kelsey, CEO of the B.C. Rapid Transit Company. “It will be business unusual … It’s going to challenge all of us to be our very best.”
VANOC has said they need a 30 per cent reduction in vehicle traffic during the Olympics.
Downtown, some streets will become pedestrian-only while others will be closed for security reasons. There will also be parking restrictions throughout the city and dedicated Olympic lines on major routes.
During the Games, the number of daily passengers on SkyTrain will increase to more than one million, up from 750,000.
The wait at some stations will be more than an hour.
SkyTrain will begin ramping up service Feb. 10 and run “event-level service” from Feb. 12 to 28. During peak times, they will run four-car sets every 108 seconds.
