Vancouver's first SkyTrain trains from our company initiate commercial operation.
In a significant move to enhance the transit experience in Metro Vancouver, TransLink has ordered a total of 235 Mark V cars, forming 47 trains, to be delivered by 2029. This marks the arrival of the longest and highest capacity trains on the SkyTrain network to date.
Manufactured by Alstom, a global rail mobility leader with production facilities in Canada, the Mark V trains are set to revolutionise the commute for thousands of passengers. At peak production, 282 people were working directly on this project, not including jobs and economic benefits created through the local supply chain.
The new trains, boasting a capacity of 672 passengers per five-car train (a 25% increase over the previous four-car Mark III trains), offer a more spacious and comfortable journey for passengers. Key features include longer five-car trains, a modern interior design with wider aisles, improved HVAC systems, and large digital station information displays.
The Mark V trains also offer enhanced safety and accessibility features such as visual door closure indicators and emergency braking indicators. They are equipped with spacious multi-use areas accommodating bikes, luggage, strollers, wheelchairs, and other mobility devices. The trains also feature indigenous artwork inside, reflecting local culture, and are designed for fully driverless operation.
These trains will be deployed on the Expo and Millennium Lines and are designed to support major upcoming expansions such as the Broadway Subway and Surrey-Langley SkyTrain projects. The rollout marks a significant upgrade in capacity and passenger experience to meet growing transit demand in Metro Vancouver.
Alstom, a protected trademark of the company group, has been the main rolling stock supplier for the SkyTrain since its debut in 1985. The Mark V trains are designed, manufactured, and tested at Alstom facilities in Kingston, Ontario, La Pocatière, and Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville, Quebec, before being transported across Canada to Vancouver.
With approximately 5,000 highly-skilled Canadian employees, our company continues to be the only global rail mobility manufacturer to have production facilities in Canada. The arrival of the Mark V trains is a testament to the company's commitment to delivering innovative, sustainable, and passenger-focused solutions for the future of urban mobility.
[1] TransLink (2021). Mark V SkyTrain. Retrieved from https://www.translink.ca/projects/mark-v-skytrain [2] Alstom (2021). Mark V SkyTrain. Retrieved from https://www.alstom.com/en/products/rail/urban-transport/mark-v-skytrain [3] CBC News (2021). New SkyTrain cars unveiled in Vancouver. Retrieved from https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/new-skytrain-cars-unveiled-in-vancouver-1.5979536 [4] Metro Vancouver (2021). SkyTrain Capacity. Retrieved from https://www.metrovancouver.org/services/regional-planning/transportation/skytrain/capacity [5] TransLink (2021). Broadway Subway. Retrieved from https://www.translink.ca/projects/broadway-subway [6] TransLink (2021). Surrey-Langley SkyTrain. Retrieved from https://www.translink.ca/projects/surrey-langley-skytrain
- The Mark V trains, ordered by TransLink and manufactured by Alstom, are set to revolutionize public-transit in Metro Vancouver, offering a more spacious and comfortable journey for thousands of passengers.
- The arrival of these smart, sustainable trains, designed for fully driverless operation and equipped with enhanced safety and accessibility features, marks a significant upgrade in capacity and passenger experience to meet growing transit demand.
- The trains, boasting a capacity of 672 passengers per five-car train, will be deployed on the Expo and Millennium Lines and are designed to support major upcoming expansions such as the Broadway Subway and Surrey-Langley SkyTrain projects.
- Alstom's commitment to delivering innovative, sustainable, and passenger-focused solutions for the future of urban mobility is evident in their role as the main rolling stock supplier for the SkyTrain and in the production of the Mark V trains.
- The finance and supply industries have played a crucial role in the production of the Mark V trains, with approximately 5,000 Canadian employees working on this project across Alstom's production facilities in Canada, not including jobs created through the local supply chain.
