Millennium Line
Encyclopedia
The Millennium Line is the second rapid transit line built in the SkyTrain
light metro rapid transit system in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia
, Canada
. The line is owned and operated by TransLink. Millennium Line uses the colour yellow on route maps, wayfinding and station signage.
in east Burnaby was proposed. The most likely junction point for the spur to Lougheed Mall would have been from Royal Oak Station, up Edmonds Street to Lougheed Mall, although early SkyTrain route maps also suggested an extension northeast from New Westminster. Neither plan was ever realized, although the extension of Expo Line tracks to Columbia Station
in 1989 and the completion of the Skybridge to Surrey
in 1988 resulted in a short spur east of Columbia Station, which was ultimately incorporated into the new Millennium Line.
In the late 1990s, the British Columbia
government announced that an entirely new line would be built from VCC–Clark Station to Columbia Station via Lougheed Mall (served by Lougheed Town Centre Station
), as the first phase of the "T-Line" outlined in the GVRD's Livable Region Strategic Plan that extended into Coquitlam. The government's choice of Bombardier's technology meant that the first phase of the line would have to connect to the existing Expo Line to use its maintenance yard. Connecting the two lines at Broadway Station
was deemed too impracticable, so the lines were connected in New Westminster. Switches to the Millennium Line were installed on the Expo Line at the north end of the Skybridge. Expo Line service was reduced to a single track over the Skybridge during the installation of these switches.
The second phase of the Millennium Line was to be an extension from Lougheed Mall to Coquitlam (then known as the Port Moody-Coquitlam (PMC) Line), which would have provided a "one seat ride" from Coquitlam to VCC–Clark Station. Switches to the PMC Line were installed to the east of Lougheed Town Centre Station and a third platform was roughed-in in anticipation of the extension. Phase II was cancelled following a change in provincial government.
The Millennium Line opened on January 2, 2002, with trains initially operating between Waterfront Station
on the Expo Line and Braid Station
in eastern New Westminster - this was referred to as Phase I. Service was extended to Commercial–Broadway Station
(then 'Commercial Drive Station'), or Phase II of construction, on September 4, 2002. Lake City Way Station
opened on November 21, 2003. Three years later, the line was extended to its present terminus, VCC–Clark Station, opening on January 6, 2006.
Millennium Line trains follow the Expo Line from Waterfront to Columbia Stations, then loop back into Vancouver via a new route, passing through Commercial–Broadway Station
again at a different platform, and terminating at VCC–Clark Station.
In 2007, the non-interlined portion of the Millennium Line served an average of 70,000 passengers per day. Of these, 14,000 passengers arrived on trains travelling from Expo Line stations west of Columbia Station
, and 7,000 transferred from the Surrey section of the Expo Line. Since then, it is estimated that ridership has grown to at least 80,000 passengers per day.
From Waterfront
to Columbia Stations, Expo and Millennium Line trains stop at the same stations.
The Millennium Line tracks pass through a tunnel for about 1 km east of Columbia Station, then are elevated above the CN
/BNSF
right-of-way through eastern New Westminster. The tracks run through Coquitlam, south of the Trans-Canada Highway
to Lougheed Town Centre. There are currently no stations in Coquitlam, but original plans for the line proposed a "finger" looping into Coquitlam with a station at Mallairdville, but this was deleted following opposition from the community. From Lougheed Town Centre, the line is elevated, running down the middle or along the side of Lougheed Highway to just west of Brentwood Town Centre, where it picks up the CN/BNSF right-of-way again, being elevated until Renfrew Station, then travelling through the Grandview Cut to Commercial Drive
and then on to VCC–Clark Station.
When the Evergreen Line extension from Lougheed Town Centre Station to Coquitlam opens in summer 2016, the Millenium Line route will be shortened to serve Waterfront Station to Lougheed Town Centre. The Lougheed Town Centre to VCC-Clark section of the line will be served by the Evergreen Line, which will operate between VCC-Clark and Douglas College stations.
land, today Great Northern Way Campus
, with a couple of further possibilities:
On January 14, 2008, the BC government announced a commitment to the expansion of the Millennium Line to UBC by 2020 as part of a $14 billion transit spending package to address global warming
. It was not initially clear exactly what route the new line would take, but it was hinted that there would be less use of cut-and-cover to minimize disruption to businesses along Broadway and avoid the same problems seen during the Canada Line
construction along Cambie Street
.
As of January 2011, Translink is in the midst of a study on various options for improved transit out to UBC, including a westward SkyTrain extension from VCC-Clark Station.
line (the Evergreen Line) instead of SkyTrain, which meant that the junction tracks would have remained unused. However, in February 2008, plans reverted to the use of SkyTrain technology to facilitate higher ridership, shorten travel times and to integrate seamlessly with the existing SkyTrain network. The Evergreen Line will operate from Douglas College Station
to VCC-Clark Station, replacing Millenium Line service on the Lougheed Town Centre to VCC-Clark portion of the route.
SkyTrain (Vancouver)
SkyTrain is a light rapid transit system in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. SkyTrain has of track and uses fully automated trains on grade-separated tracks, running mostly on elevated guideways, which helps SkyTrain to hold consistently high on-time reliability...
light metro rapid transit system in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The line is owned and operated by TransLink. Millennium Line uses the colour yellow on route maps, wayfinding and station signage.
History
When the Expo Line opened in 1985, an extension to Lougheed MallLougheed Town Centre
Lougheed Town Centre is a shopping mall in Burnaby, British Columbia. It is located in the northeast corner of the city, near the border with Coquitlam....
in east Burnaby was proposed. The most likely junction point for the spur to Lougheed Mall would have been from Royal Oak Station, up Edmonds Street to Lougheed Mall, although early SkyTrain route maps also suggested an extension northeast from New Westminster. Neither plan was ever realized, although the extension of Expo Line tracks to Columbia Station
Columbia Station
Columbia Station is located in the short underground section of the Expo Line in New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada. It is a part of Metro Vancouver's SkyTrain rapid transit system, and one of two transfer points to the newer Millennium Line....
in 1989 and the completion of the Skybridge to Surrey
Surrey, British Columbia
Surrey is a city in the province of British Columbia, Canada. It is a member municipality of Metro Vancouver, the governing body of the Greater Vancouver Regional District...
in 1988 resulted in a short spur east of Columbia Station, which was ultimately incorporated into the new Millennium Line.
In the late 1990s, the British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
government announced that an entirely new line would be built from VCC–Clark Station to Columbia Station via Lougheed Mall (served by Lougheed Town Centre Station
Lougheed Town Centre Station
Lougheed Town Centre Station is a station on the Millennium Line, part of the SkyTrain rapid transit system in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia.-Location:...
), as the first phase of the "T-Line" outlined in the GVRD's Livable Region Strategic Plan that extended into Coquitlam. The government's choice of Bombardier's technology meant that the first phase of the line would have to connect to the existing Expo Line to use its maintenance yard. Connecting the two lines at Broadway Station
Commercial–Broadway Station
Commercial–Broadway Station is located on an elevated portion of the Expo Line and Millenium Line and an at-grade portion of the Millennium Line, a part of Metro Vancouver's SkyTrain rapid transit system...
was deemed too impracticable, so the lines were connected in New Westminster. Switches to the Millennium Line were installed on the Expo Line at the north end of the Skybridge. Expo Line service was reduced to a single track over the Skybridge during the installation of these switches.
The second phase of the Millennium Line was to be an extension from Lougheed Mall to Coquitlam (then known as the Port Moody-Coquitlam (PMC) Line), which would have provided a "one seat ride" from Coquitlam to VCC–Clark Station. Switches to the PMC Line were installed to the east of Lougheed Town Centre Station and a third platform was roughed-in in anticipation of the extension. Phase II was cancelled following a change in provincial government.
The Millennium Line opened on January 2, 2002, with trains initially operating between Waterfront Station
Waterfront Station (Vancouver)
Waterfront Station is a major intermodal public transportation facility and the main transit terminus in Downtown Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.-Location:...
on the Expo Line and Braid Station
Braid Station
Braid Station is an elevated station of the Millennium Line, a part of Metro Vancouver's SkyTrain rapid transit system. The station itself is located in eastern New Westminster, near the Coquitlam border.-Location:...
in eastern New Westminster - this was referred to as Phase I. Service was extended to Commercial–Broadway Station
Commercial–Broadway Station
Commercial–Broadway Station is located on an elevated portion of the Expo Line and Millenium Line and an at-grade portion of the Millennium Line, a part of Metro Vancouver's SkyTrain rapid transit system...
(then 'Commercial Drive Station'), or Phase II of construction, on September 4, 2002. Lake City Way Station
Lake City Way Station
Lake City Way Station is a station on the Millennium Line of the SkyTrain system in Metro Vancouver, Canada. The station is located at the intersection of Lougheed Highway and Lake City Way in Burnaby, British Columbia, and serves several industrial companies and television studios nearby including...
opened on November 21, 2003. Three years later, the line was extended to its present terminus, VCC–Clark Station, opening on January 6, 2006.
Millennium Line trains follow the Expo Line from Waterfront to Columbia Stations, then loop back into Vancouver via a new route, passing through Commercial–Broadway Station
Commercial–Broadway Station
Commercial–Broadway Station is located on an elevated portion of the Expo Line and Millenium Line and an at-grade portion of the Millennium Line, a part of Metro Vancouver's SkyTrain rapid transit system...
again at a different platform, and terminating at VCC–Clark Station.
In 2007, the non-interlined portion of the Millennium Line served an average of 70,000 passengers per day. Of these, 14,000 passengers arrived on trains travelling from Expo Line stations west of Columbia Station
Columbia Station
Columbia Station is located in the short underground section of the Expo Line in New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada. It is a part of Metro Vancouver's SkyTrain rapid transit system, and one of two transfer points to the newer Millennium Line....
, and 7,000 transferred from the Surrey section of the Expo Line. Since then, it is estimated that ridership has grown to at least 80,000 passengers per day.
Route
Waterfront Station (Vancouver)
Waterfront Station is a major intermodal public transportation facility and the main transit terminus in Downtown Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.-Location:...
to Columbia Stations, Expo and Millennium Line trains stop at the same stations.
The Millennium Line tracks pass through a tunnel for about 1 km east of Columbia Station, then are elevated above the CN
Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
/BNSF
BNSF Railway
The BNSF Railway is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. It is one of seven North American Class I railroads and the second largest freight railroad network in North America, second only to the Union Pacific Railroad, its primary...
right-of-way through eastern New Westminster. The tracks run through Coquitlam, south of the Trans-Canada Highway
Trans-Canada Highway
The Trans-Canada Highway is a federal-provincial highway system that joins the ten provinces of Canada. It is, along with the Trans-Siberian Highway and Australia's Highway 1, one of the world's longest national highways, with the main route spanning 8,030 km...
to Lougheed Town Centre. There are currently no stations in Coquitlam, but original plans for the line proposed a "finger" looping into Coquitlam with a station at Mallairdville, but this was deleted following opposition from the community. From Lougheed Town Centre, the line is elevated, running down the middle or along the side of Lougheed Highway to just west of Brentwood Town Centre, where it picks up the CN/BNSF right-of-way again, being elevated until Renfrew Station, then travelling through the Grandview Cut to Commercial Drive
Commercial Drive (Vancouver)
Commercial Drive is a roadway in the city of Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada that goes through the neighbourhood of Grandview-Woodland. However, the neighbourhood is so dominated by the businesses, cultural facilities, and residents along Commercial Drive that the area is far better known as...
and then on to VCC–Clark Station.
When the Evergreen Line extension from Lougheed Town Centre Station to Coquitlam opens in summer 2016, the Millenium Line route will be shortened to serve Waterfront Station to Lougheed Town Centre. The Lougheed Town Centre to VCC-Clark section of the line will be served by the Evergreen Line, which will operate between VCC-Clark and Douglas College stations.
West extension
A long-term proposal exists to extend the line further west first along Great Northern Way on the ex-FinningFinning
Finning International Inc. , headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, is the world's largest distributor of Caterpillar products and support services.-Profile:Finning International is Caterpillar's largest dealer and global business partner...
land, today Great Northern Way Campus
Great Northern Way Campus
Great Northern Way Campus Ltd is a private limited company and educational enterprise located in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It is the offspring of a consortium of four local academic institutions that has attracted...
, with a couple of further possibilities:
- south to Main StreetMain Street (Vancouver)Main Street is a major north-south thoroughfare bisecting Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It runs from Waterfront Road by Burrard Inlet in the north, to Kent Avenue alongside the north arm of the Fraser River in the south.-Route:...
and BroadwayBroadway (Vancouver)Broadway is a major east-west thoroughfare in the city of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. In Vancouver's numbered avenue grid system, it runs in place of a 9th Avenue, between 8th and 10th. The street has four lanes for most of its course...
, running under 10th Avenue, through the Mount Pleasant and Fairview neighbourhoods in Vancouver south of False Creek, to serve the commercial and hospital area along central Broadway, including a connection to the Broadway – City Hall Station on the Canada LineCanada LineCanada Line is a rapid transit line in the Metro Vancouver region of British Columbia, Canada. Opened in August 2009, it is the third line in TransLink's SkyTrain metro network, servicing Vancouver, Richmond, and the Vancouver International Airport...
. The terminus of this proposed route would be at either Arbutus, BurrardBurrard StreetBurrard Street is a major thoroughfare in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It is the central street of Downtown Vancouver and the Financial District. The street is named for Burrard Inlet, located at its northern terminus, which in turn is named for Sir Harry Burrard-Neale.The street starts at...
, Granville StreetGranville StreetGranville Street is a major street in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and part of Highway 99.-Location:Granville Street runs generally north-south through the centre of Vancouver, passing through several neighbourhoods and commercial areas, differing appreciably in their land value and the...
or even all the way to the University of British ColumbiaUniversity of British ColumbiaThe University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
main campus. Or; - continuing along 2nd Avenue to the Canada Line Olympic Village StationOlympic Village StationOlympic Village Station is a SkyTrain station on the Canada Line in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The use of the term "Olympic" has been licensed for use by the International Olympic Committee.-Location:...
on Cambie StreetCambie StreetCambie Street is a street in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It is named for Henry John Cambie, chief surveyor of the Canadian Pacific Railway's western division ....
.
On January 14, 2008, the BC government announced a commitment to the expansion of the Millennium Line to UBC by 2020 as part of a $14 billion transit spending package to address global warming
Global warming
Global warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...
. It was not initially clear exactly what route the new line would take, but it was hinted that there would be less use of cut-and-cover to minimize disruption to businesses along Broadway and avoid the same problems seen during the Canada Line
Canada Line
Canada Line is a rapid transit line in the Metro Vancouver region of British Columbia, Canada. Opened in August 2009, it is the third line in TransLink's SkyTrain metro network, servicing Vancouver, Richmond, and the Vancouver International Airport...
construction along Cambie Street
Cambie Street
Cambie Street is a street in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It is named for Henry John Cambie, chief surveyor of the Canadian Pacific Railway's western division ....
.
As of January 2011, Translink is in the midst of a study on various options for improved transit out to UBC, including a westward SkyTrain extension from VCC-Clark Station.
Evergreen Line
The Evergreen Line has now been confirmed for construction, commencing near summer 2012 and opening for service in summer 2016. In Coquitlam, a SkyTrain extension from Lougheed Town Centre Station to Coquitlam Town Centre was proposed when the original Millennium Line was built, and the necessary junction tracks were built at Lougheed Town Centre Station (which will now be used in 2016). Plans subsequently evolved to building a tramTram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
line (the Evergreen Line) instead of SkyTrain, which meant that the junction tracks would have remained unused. However, in February 2008, plans reverted to the use of SkyTrain technology to facilitate higher ridership, shorten travel times and to integrate seamlessly with the existing SkyTrain network. The Evergreen Line will operate from Douglas College Station
Douglas College Station
Douglas College Station will be a SkyTrain terminus station along the planned Evergreen Line extension to Coquitlam, in Metro Vancouver, Canada. It will be located just northeast of the Pinetree Way / Guildford Way intersection, and will serve the David Lam campus of Douglas College and Coquitlam...
to VCC-Clark Station, replacing Millenium Line service on the Lougheed Town Centre to VCC-Clark portion of the route.
External links
- TransLink - The agency that owns and operates SkyTrain.
- YouTube - Millennium Line Timelapse