Canadian Railroads > Best way to get from Vancouver BC VIA station to Vancou

Will be arriving at the Vancouver VIA Rail station in a couple weeks and need to get to the Vancouver BC airport to pick up a rental car.

Is there a light rail line at the VIA station that will take me to the airport?

Is Skytrain a good option? How close is it to the VIA station?


Many thanks for advice.

Seaboard C30-7

I just did this too yesterday.

Across the street from the train station is SkyTrain - the local
rapid transit line. The station stop I think was called Main Street.
Buy a ticket at a machine on the ground level, go up escalator and take
train to Waterfront. Get off there and follow signs to CANADA LINE. It is
a separate train from SkyTrain but shares the station. These are combined elevated
and subway lines.

Take the Canada Line train to YVR Airport. There are two trains here - one goes to
Richmond and one to YVR Airport. If you get on the Richmond train there is a transfer point
somewhere down the line to the Airport, but better to just wait for the YVR Airport train.
Canada Line takes you right to the terminal - boom! There is one terminal for Canadian flights
and one for USA and International so be sure to look for the sign depending on your destination.
Both terminals share the same Canada Line stop.


Tickets are good for 90 minutes of riding so if you want to sightsee or shop or eat at Waterfront
you may have to buy another ticket.

Ticket for 2 zones (VIA to Airport or Waterfront to Airport) is $4 Canadian. Ticket from VIA to Waterfront
only is one zone $2.80 Canadian. Not sure if machines take credit cards, so you might plan to have these
funds available in paper or coin.

This is very helpful, thanks

WrongWayMurphy Wrote:
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> I just did this too yesterday.
>
> Across the street from the train station is
> SkyTrain - the local
> rapid transit line. The station stop I think was
> called Main Street.
> Buy a ticket at a machine on the ground level, go
> up escalator and take
> train to Waterfront. Get off there and follow
> signs to CANADA LINE. It is
> a separate train from SkyTrain but shares the
> station. These are combined elevated
> and subway lines.
>
> Take the Canada Line train to YVR Airport. There
> are two trains here - one goes to
> Richmond and one to YVR Airport. If you get on
> the Richmond train there is a transfer point
> somewhere down the line to the Airport, but better
> to just wait for the YVR Airport train.
> Canada Line takes you right to the terminal -
> boom! There is one terminal for Canadian flights
> and one for USA and International so be sure to
> look for the sign depending on your destination.
> Both terminals share the same Canada Line stop.
>
>
> Tickets are good for 90 minutes of riding so if
> you want to sightsee or shop or eat at Waterfront
> you may have to buy another ticket.
>
> Ticket for 2 zones (VIA to Airport or Waterfront
> to Airport) is $4 Canadian. Ticket from VIA to
> Waterfront
> only is one zone $2.80 Canadian. Not sure if
> machines take credit cards, so you might plan to
> have these
> funds available in paper or coin.


A good description, except that the Canada Line to the Airport is a Skytrain line, rather than "a train separate from Skytrain". Skytrain has 3 lines.

reindeerflame Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> A good description, except that the Canada Line to
> the Airport is a Skytrain line, rather than "a
> train separate from Skytrain". Skytrain has 3
> lines.

No, the Canada Line is not a SkyTrain line, although the transit company insists on lumping them together under that name.

The Canada Line is technically distinct (larger cars -- longer and wider -- that would not fit on the true SkyTrain lines and operate with conventional traction motors) and it is actually operated by a private-sector company that designed and built it. This is significant because the Canada Line employees work for that company and have given strike notice. You could wind up with a scenario where the Canada Line is on strike while the true SkyTrain lines (Expo Line and Millennium Line) keep operating as per usual.

railsmith Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> reindeerflame Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
>
> > A good description, except that the Canada Line
> to
> > the Airport is a Skytrain line, rather than "a
> > train separate from Skytrain". Skytrain has 3
> > lines.
>
> No, the Canada Line is not a SkyTrain line,
> although the transit company insists on lumping
> them together under that name.
>
> The Canada Line is technically distinct (larger
> cars -- longer and wider -- that would not fit on
> the true SkyTrain lines and operate with
> conventional traction motors) and it is actually
> operated by a private-sector company that designed
> and built it. This is significant because the
> Canada Line employees work for that company and
> have given strike notice. You could wind up with a
> scenario where the Canada Line is on strike while
> the true SkyTrain lines (Expo Line and Millennium
> Line) keep operating as per usual.


It's all a public rail service. Who the employees may be is of no interest to the passenger.

reindeerflame Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> It's all a public rail service. Who the employees
> may be is of no interest to the passenger.

It will be of considerable interest to the passenger if one of those lines is on strike. Employees of the earlier SkyTrain lines would not be able to operate the Canada Line if it's on strike, not that they would cross the picket lines in the first place. They are not trained to run or maintain Canada Line equipment. The converse would be true if SkyTrain was on strike -- Canada Line employees are not qualified to run and maintain SkyTrain. They are two quite different beasts under different ownership and management, with separate workforces, one in the public sector (SkyTrain) and one in the private sector (Canada Line).

Canada Line employees have voted 99 per cent in favour of striking. They have been without a contract for 13 months now. The latest news is that the dispute is in mediation, with the mediated talks to continue on February 2-3, so it would seem that operations will continue as normal for at least 10 days.

reindeerflame Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It's all a public rail service. Who the employees
> may be is of no interest to the passenger.

Ah, you under-estimate the degree of interest in the participants here at TO. We have rivet counters here.

Hi, Do you have any Photos of this lines cars please??
I am also looking at doing a trip to Canada soon hence the
interest..
Great reading also on how to do trip the other person asked about..

Cheers Brian in New Zealand..

RogersPass Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hi, Do you have any Photos of this lines cars
> please??
> I am also looking at doing a trip to Canada soon
> hence the
> interest..
> Great reading also on how to do trip the other
> person asked about..
>
> Cheers Brian in New Zealand..


Brian:

Here are two photos.

The first shows Canada Line cars 202-102 just outside the Vancouver airport station. These cars wear the livery of their private-sector owner and there are no SkyTrain markings on them because, as I and WrongWayMurphy have said, this is not SkyTrain. These cars were built in Korea by Hyundai Rotem and are based on an earlier build for the Athens commuter rail system, and thus have heavy-rail dimensions. They have conventional traction motors and take their power from a third-rail.

The next photo is of the latest variant of SkyTrain Mark II cars, built by Bombardier in Mexico. These are propelled by linear induction motors and use two power rails. The 307-308 set shown here wears the generic livery of TransLink, the regional transportation authority, which will also be found on buses and the cross-harbour SeaBus service. These cars are built to fit the dimensions of the SkyTrain lines and are roughly 14 inches narrower than the Canada Line cars. While the Canada Line and SkyTrain elevated guideways look similar to the layman, their sizes reflect the different size of their respective trains.

While the information about the fare from Vancouver's VIA station to the airport given by WrongWay is correct, a different fare applies in the opposite direction. Inbound passengers from the airport have to pay an additional $5 over and above the regular fare, if paying in cash or with a debit or credit card. Locals can get around this by buying a book of regular tickets in advance, but tourists can't do this conveniently.

---

---

CA_Sou_MA_Agent Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> reindeerflame Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > It's all a public rail service. Who the
> employees
> > may be is of no interest to the passenger.
>
> Ah, you under-estimate the degree of interest in
> the participants here at TO. We have rivet
> counters here.


LOL. To continue the discussion, what's an approximate cab fare from YVR to the railroad station. I'll be transferring in May.

Here's a question? Are there still airport buses from Vancouver YVR airport to downtown Vancouver since the Canada line was built?

For the bus fans among us, previously these were lime green GM RTS coaches

sums007 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> LOL. To continue the discussion, what's an
> approximate cab fare from YVR to the railroad
> station. I'll be transferring in May.

The fare shown on the map at the airport website is $31.

eminence_grise Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Here's a question? Are there still airport buses
> from Vancouver YVR airport to downtown Vancouver
> since the Canada line was built?
>
> For the bus fans among us, previously these were
> lime green GM RTS coaches

The Airporter bus service died soon after the opening of the Canada Line on August 17, 2009. Airporter service ended as of September 30. It had been operating on a year-by-year contract since 2004, as it wss obvious that the Canada Line would be stiff competition. The line opened more than three months ahead of schedule, so the demise of the Airporter came a little sooner than expected.

The Canada Line has also had a big impact on the long-term parking lot operators, making their prices quite affordable. I live one hour's drive from the airport (and that's using fast roads), too far away to use the rail transport options under most circumstances. I parked my car at the airport and paid $125 including tax for 24 days of parking. That lot operator provides a free shuttle to and from the terminals, but if it didn't, it is a short walk from that lot to the second-to-last Canada Line station for a free ride.

All Canada Line rides between the three stations on Sea Island, which is mostly occupied by the airport, are free. That was a condition of the substantial capital funding provided by the airport authority. It wanted employees of the airport and its tenants to be able to travel around the airport complex during the course of their work without needing cars.

railsmith Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> eminence_grise Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Here's a question? Are there still airport
> buses
> > from Vancouver YVR airport to downtown
> Vancouver
> > since the Canada line was built?
> >
> > For the bus fans among us, previously these
> were
> > lime green GM RTS coaches
>
> The Airporter bus service died soon after the
> opening of the Canada Line on August 17, 2009.
> Airporter service ended as of September 30. It had
> been operating on a year-by-year contract since
> 2004, as it wss obvious that the Canada Line would
> be stiff competition. The line opened more than
> three months ahead of schedule, so the demise of
> the Airporter came a little sooner than expected.
>
>
> The Canada Line has also had a big impact on the
> long-term parking lot operators, making their
> prices quite affordable. I live one hour's drive
> from the airport (and that's using fast roads),
> too far away to use the rail transport options
> under most circumstances. I parked my car at the
> airport and paid $125 including tax for 24 days of
> parking. That lot operator provides a free shuttle
> to and from the terminals, but if it didn't, it is
> a short walk from that lot to the second-to-last
> Canada Line station for a free ride.
>
> All Canada Line rides between the three stations
> on Sea Island, which is mostly occupied by the
> airport, are free. That was a condition of the
> substantial capital funding provided by the
> airport authority. It wanted employees of the
> airport and its tenants to be able to travel
> around the airport complex during the course of
> their work without needing cars.


Thanks for that excellent summary of options. The provision to "ride free" within the airport precincts is also the case in Minneapolis. Travel between the terminals on the light rail is free, but charges apply when you leave the boundaries of the facility.

That's probably pretty standard- there is no charge to take a train or bus between terminals at LHR (London Heathrow)

Unless there has been a recent change, it is not possible to buy a day pass at the ticket vending machines at the airport station. (There are no humans selling tickets at Canada Line or Skytrain stations.) The Website still says that day passes are available at all vending machines except for those on Sea Island. In spring of last year I had to search out one of the two shops in the airport that sell these passes. Unless you are only travelling one way, the day pass is a good deal at $9.75 for an adult or $7.50 for a senior.

DrawingroomA Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Unless there has been a recent change, it is not
> possible to buy a day pass at the ticket vending
> machines at the airport station. (There are no
> humans selling tickets at Canada Line or Skytrain
> stations.) The Website still says that day passes
> are available at all vending machines except for
> those on Sea Island. In spring of last year I had
> to search out one of the two shops in the airport
> that sell these passes. Unless you are only
> travelling one way, the day pass is a good deal at
> $9.75 for an adult or $7.50 for a senior.

That's good to know.

If the original poster wanted to take the train to downtown, have lunch, and take another train to the airport, they could do that on a single day pass.

I don't recall if there's a place to store luggage in the Waterfront Station. It would be nice to take a voyage across the bay and back without dragging bags.

Cab is about $25 depending upon time of day. Station is close to Cambie St bridge south bound so it is easy trip to airport.

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> DrawingroomA Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> > Unless you are only
> > travelling one way, the day pass is a good deal
> > at
> > $9.75 for an adult or $7.50 for a senior.
>
> That's good to know.
>
> If the original poster wanted to take the train to
> downtown, have lunch, and take another train to
> the airport, they could do that on a single day
> pass.

In that scenario, he could take SkyTrain from the VIA station to downtown for $2.75, have lunch, then later take the Canada Line to the airport for $4, so a bit cheaper than the day pass.


> I don't recall if there's a place to store luggage
> in the Waterfront Station. It would be nice to
> take a voyage across the bay and back without
> dragging bags.

Unfortunately, there's no place to store luggage at Waterfront.

The voyage across the harbour involves a 2-zone trip from City of Vancouver originating points. You could, in fact, buy a 2-zone ticket at the SkyTrain station near the VIA station, ride to Waterfront, take an out-and-back trip across the harbour, AND ride out to the airport all on the same 2-zone ticket for $4, as long as the final leg of the trip started within 90 minutes of the ticket being issued, which is quite feasible. Of course, you would have to drag your bags with you.