New Westminster Station
Encyclopedia
New Westminster Station is located at Columbia Street and 8th Street in New Westminster, British Columbia
, Canada
, and was the original eastern terminus of SkyTrain
until 1989 prior to the partial completion and opening of the phase two extension of SkyTrain to Surrey.
being held in the City of Vancouver
, and also serving development and shopping districts along the New Westminster Quay. New Westminster Station still serves as a temporary terminus for the Expo Line towards closing hours of revenue service. During the station's period as terminus station, a temporary platform had been built over the westbound guideway with trains thus arriving and departing on the eastbound track.
At its inception, New Westminster Station served as the major transfer point for bus services toward Port Moody, Coquitlam, and Port Coquitlam. After the completion of Millennium Line
, this function has been replaced by Braid
and Lougheed Town Centre
stations in the north.
For a long time, the adjacent city blocks included run down buildings and empty lots, and drug dealers and prostitutes hung around the stairs up to the station. However, a major mixed use development called Plaza 88 is now under construction. The development includes at least 4 high rises, the first three of which are 33, 35 and 37 stories. The 37 floor tower will be the tallest in the city.
The station is currently being retrofitted and redesigned, coinciding with the integration of the station into the new shopping complex being built as part of 'Plaza 88 Project' as well as broader plans to upgrade SkyTrain's Expo Line as put forth by Translink
and the British Columbia Rapid Transit Company (BCRTC).
McNeely Street Entrance served the original off-street bus loop and the current temporary on-street temporary transit exchange for conventional buses (bay 1 to 5) on Carnarvon Street. It is located on the west end of the station and connected to the 8th Avenue entrance at concourse level.
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...
, and was the original eastern terminus of SkyTrain
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...
until 1989 prior to the partial completion and opening of the phase two extension of SkyTrain to Surrey.
History
The station was completed and opened in December of 1985, providing a transportation link to Expo 86Expo 86
The 1986 World Exposition on Transportation and Communication, or simply Expo '86, was a World's Fair held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada from Friday, May 2 until Monday, October 13, 1986...
being held in the City of Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, and also serving development and shopping districts along the New Westminster Quay. New Westminster Station still serves as a temporary terminus for the Expo Line towards closing hours of revenue service. During the station's period as terminus station, a temporary platform had been built over the westbound guideway with trains thus arriving and departing on the eastbound track.
At its inception, New Westminster Station served as the major transfer point for bus services toward Port Moody, Coquitlam, and Port Coquitlam. After the completion of Millennium Line
Millennium Line
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.-History:When...
, this function has been replaced by Braid
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:...
and Lougheed Town Centre
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:...
stations in the north.
For a long time, the adjacent city blocks included run down buildings and empty lots, and drug dealers and prostitutes hung around the stairs up to the station. However, a major mixed use development called Plaza 88 is now under construction. The development includes at least 4 high rises, the first three of which are 33, 35 and 37 stories. The 37 floor tower will be the tallest in the city.
The station is currently being retrofitted and redesigned, coinciding with the integration of the station into the new shopping complex being built as part of 'Plaza 88 Project' as well as broader plans to upgrade SkyTrain's Expo Line as put forth by Translink
Translink
There are several entities called Translink or TransLink, including*Translink , a proposed track-guided bus system linking Houghton Regis, Dunstable and Luton in England...
and the British Columbia Rapid Transit Company (BCRTC).
Services
- New Westminster Station connects to local bus and shuttle services to Quayside and Uptown areas, as well as regional bus connections to Burnaby.
- The station houses the "New Westminster Smoke Shoppe", a small convenience store that opened with the opening of SkyTrain's formal revenue service in 1986.
- New Westminster Quay and River Market is one block south of the station. A pedestrian overpass across the railway track connects the station area with the quay.
- A future shopping centre along with a 10-screens Landmark CinemasLandmark Cinemas (Canada)Landmark Cinemas Inc. is a film exhibition chain operating 33 theatres across the four western provinces of Canada. Landmark Cinemas Inc. was founded in 1965. The company's corporate office is located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.-British Columbia:...
theatre from the Plaza 88 development will connect directly with the station.
Station layout
| T | Train Level | Future connection to Plaza 88 shopping centre |
|---|---|---|
| C | Concourse Level | Future connection to Plaza 88 shopping centre |
| S | Street Level |
Station entrances and connections
8th Street Entrance is the east entrance of the station, located on 8th Street between Columbia Street and Carnarvon Street. Of the two entrances to the station, the 8th Avenue entrance has the higher pedestrian activity. Bicycle racks are available at this entrance. Temporary connections to the New Westminster community shuttles are provided at Bay 6 and 7 near this entrance.McNeely Street Entrance served the original off-street bus loop and the current temporary on-street temporary transit exchange for conventional buses (bay 1 to 5) on Carnarvon Street. It is located on the west end of the station and connected to the 8th Avenue entrance at concourse level.
Transit exchange
The original off-street bus loop for New Westminster is temporary closed for Plaza 88 development. A temporary on-street exchange is set up on Carnarvon and 8th street, providing both local and regional connections. Bus bay assignments of the temporary exchange is as follows:| Bay | Location | Routes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carnarvon Street Eastbound |
106 Metrotown Station Metrotown Station Metrotown Station is an elevated SkyTrain station on the Expo Line in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada. It is the second-busiest station in the SkyTrain system. The station is located on the south side of Central Boulevard, east of Willingdon Avenue.... 321 Surrey Central Station Surrey Central Station Surrey Central Station is a station in Surrey, British Columbia, on an elevated portion of the Expo Line, a part of Metro Vancouver's SkyTrain rapid transit system.-Location:... (limited service) N19 Surrey Central Station Night Bus N19 Downtown Night Bus |
| 2 | ||
| 3 | Carnarvon Street Eastbound |
C9 Lougheed Station |
| 4 | Carnarvon Street Westbound |
112 Edmonds Station Edmonds Station Edmonds Station is located on an at-grade portion of the Expo Line, a part of Vancouver, British Columbia's SkyTrain rapid transit system. The station itself is in southern Burnaby... |
| 5 | Carnarvon Street Eastbound |
123 Brentwood Station |
| 6 | 8th Street Southbound |
C3 Fraserview C4 Uptown |
| 7 | 8th Street Southbound |
C8 Quayside |
| Carnarvon Street Eastbound |
HandyDart |