The Patterson Station of the 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...

 system is an elevated station located on the Expo Line in Burnaby, 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...

. It is the westernmost Expo Line station in Burnaby.

Location

The station is located at the northeastern fringe of Burnaby's Central Park

Central Park (Burnaby)

Central Park is a 90-hectare urban park in Burnaby, British Columbia, founded in 1891. The park is located on the Vancouver-Burnaby border, just west of the Metrotown shopping complex, and is bounded by Boundary Road on the west, Kingsway on the north, Patterson and Willingdon Avenues on the east,...

, at the corner of Patterson Avenue and Central Boulevard. A stretch of the SkyTrain line west of the station actually crosses through the park.

This station is located above the old rights-of-way of the now-defunct British Columbia Electric Railway

British Columbia Electric Railway

The British Columbia Electric Railway was a historic Canadian railway which operated in southwestern British Columbia.Originally the parent company, and later a division, of BC Electric, the BCER operated public transportation in southwestern British Columbia from its establishment in the...

 Central Park Line; this line ran from just west of Nanaimo Station

Nanaimo Station

The Nanaimo Station of the SkyTrain system is an elevated station located on the Expo Line in East Vancouver.The station is accessible from the east side of Nanaimo Street at Vanness Avenue. It is located on the crest of a hill, providing all riders a wonderful view of Downtown and the west side of...

 all the way to where the current New Westminster Station

New Westminster Station

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.-History:The station was...

 is located.

History

Patterson Station was built in 1985 as part of the original Expo Line. Even considering its proximity to Central Park - a very lush, wooded park with trails to Swangard Stadium

Swangard Stadium

Swangard Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Central Park in Burnaby, British Columbia. Primarily used for soccer, football, and athletics, the stadium is home to the Simon Fraser Clan football team. The stadium was home to the Vancouver Whitecaps of the NASL...

 (home to the Vancouver Whitecaps soccer team), the station is primarily used by local residents in the area. This lack of use can also be attributed to its proximity to the 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....

. Patterson Station is where Diana, Princess of Wales

Diana, Princess of Wales

Diana, Princess of Wales was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, whom she married on 29 July 1981, and an international charity and fundraising figure, as well as a preeminent celebrity of the late 20th century...

 and Prince Charles disembarked after riding the SkyTrain from Waterfront Station during Expo 86

Expo 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...

. The station was named for pioneer Dugald Campbell Patterson

Dugald Campbell Patterson

Dugald Campbell Patterson Sr., is recognized in Vancouver, Burnaby, and New Westminster, British Columbia as a significant pioneer. He arrived in Canada on July 1st, 1884 and engaged in the building trade while living in Victoria...

 who built the original interurban

Interurban

An interurban, also called a radial railway in parts of Canada, is a type of electric passenger railroad; in short a hybrid between tram and train. Interurbans enjoyed widespread popularity in the first three decades of the twentieth century in North America. Until the early 1920s, most roads were...

 stop, then known as Patterson's Landing, along the old British Columbia Electric Railway

British Columbia Electric Railway

The British Columbia Electric Railway was a historic Canadian railway which operated in southwestern British Columbia.Originally the parent company, and later a division, of BC Electric, the BCER operated public transportation in southwestern British Columbia from its establishment in the...

 in the 1890's.

Bus service

Bus bay assignments;

1 - 125 BCIT, 129 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...

2 - 129 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....