Canadian Railroads > Arrival in Vancouver BC

Arrival at Vancouver BC Pacific Central station on Nov. 16, 2025 was nothing short of amazing. 

As we backed through the yard tracks leading up to platforms the city skyline was simmering in the rain with colors of green and blue.  However, nothing could have surprised me as much as seeing the dazzling colored lighting as we snaked under the platform shelter.  I have never seen any mode of transport provide as much festive ambience as VIA provides with the pre-dawn arrival in Vancouver.
It is apparent to me that this is a city wide initiative of some sorts but the origins of the green and blue remains a mystery to me. 

Can anyone catch me up?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/04/25 05:27 by Hou74-76.

---

You must be a registered subscriber to watch videos. Join Today!

At daybreak the Canadian service held on until 8:30AM.  The dining car staff were truly exemplary with their professionalism and friendliness.  That is THE cleanest dining car galley I have seen.

But even as breakfast was royally served to the remaining passengers before disembarking, service wagons were pulled alongside the diner to assist with the removal and transfer of outgoing items. I spotted this one bucket with ACT/DINER DONATION written on it.  I am guessing that food items that had to be removed at the end of the trip (but were still not expired) were donated to a food pantry or shelter rather than simply thrown away.   If I am correct about that, then my admiration for the entire operation of the Canadian is bolstered even more. 

Thanks for any insights you can provide.

 

---

---

---

Nice photos! I look forward to my trip next March.

Green, blue and gold are the official colors (colours) for the City of Vancouver.

https://policy.vancouver.ca/CP00102.pdf

Posted from iPhone

Hou74-76 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Arrival at Vancouver BC Central Pacific station on
> Nov. 16, 2025 was nothing short of amazing. 
>
> As we backed through the yard tracks leading up to
> platforms the city skyline was simmering in the
> rain with colors of green and blue.  However,
> nothing could have surprised me as much as seeing
> the dazzling colored lighting as we snaked under
> the platform shelter.  I have never seen any mode
> of transport provide as much festive ambience as
> VIA provides with the pre-dawn arrival in
> Vancouver.
> It is apparent to me that this is a city wide
> initiative of some sorts but the origins of the
> green and blue remains a mystery to me. 
>
> Can anyone catch me up?

The blue and green lighting is on a tower crane being used in the construction of Vancouver's second-largest hospital (St. Paul's), which will be relocated from its current site in the downtown area.  The new hospital site is on the lands of the former Great Northern station, which closed in 1962 and was demolished in 1965, and the associated freight yard (Vancouver North Yard), which was used until the 1990s. These lay directly to the north of the CN (now VIA) station and coach yard.

First photo below is of the GN station in early 1965, with demolition in progress. Looking south with the CN station (now Pacific Central) beyond. Photo by David Ll. Davies, used with permission.

The second photo is from the hospital's website, showing a conception of the new complex. Note Pacific Central in lower right corner. The playing fields to the right of the hospital buildings are on former GN yard land. The hospital is slated to open in 2027. The building at left will house a research centre, scheduled to open in 2029.




 



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 12/03/25 17:53 by railsmith.

---

---

Hou74-76 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> At daybreak the Canadian service held on until
> 8:30AM.  The dining car staff were truly
> exemplary with their professionalism and
> friendliness.  That is THE cleanest dining car
> galley I have seen.
>
> But even as breakfast was royally served to the
> remaining passengers before disembarking, service
> wagons were pulled alongside the diner to assist
> with the removal and transfer of outgoing items. I
> spotted this one bucket with ACT/DINER DONATION
> written on it.  I am guessing that food items
> that had to be removed at the end of the trip (but
> were still not expired) were donated to a food
> pantry or shelter rather than simply thrown away.
>   If I am correct about that, then my admiration
> for the entire operation of the Canadian is
> bolstered even more. 
>
> Thanks for any insights you can provide.

Pacific Central is just a short distance south of Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, known as Canada's poorest postal code area. It would just be a short trip for a collection van to deliver the food to shelters for the homeless. The logistics would be simple.  



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/03/25 17:54 by railsmith.

What beautiful pictures.  Thanks.  It's too bad CN is allowed to give the Canadian lower-than-drag-freight priority over the road.  Also a tragedy that the Vancouver GN station was torn down.

Sounds like very nice well-run operation

Thank you for the kind explanation about the old GN station and the associated area.  I also corrected my original post to refelct the correct name of VIA's depot, Pacific Central station.  

There was one more thing that I thought was clever and interesting about Pacific Central station.  The old pay telephone booths have been converted to display photo ads for VIA.  A nice way to preserve historical artifacts and get some good PR.  

---

Via Rail is the definition of a "First Class Operation". I can't wait to do a Round Trip On #'s 2 and 1 again. I have yet to take #1 into Vancouver proper, as my trip last year I went coast to coast Vancouver-Halifax and return, but I disembarked at Jasper on the westbound leg, and took the Skeena to Prince Rupert, then back to Prince George before flying home via Vancouver on a pair of Dehavilland Dash 8's with Air Canada. I would have went back to Jasper, but I didn't want to sit idle for 3 days waiting for the next #1. My first trip on #2, I did the whole length, then did the Corridor Triangle, then returned home via the Maple Leaf, Lake Shore Limited, Empire Builder and Amtrak Cascades Service.

Drew Mitchem
Centralia, WA

Excellent conclusion to your trip report - thanks so much for sharing, and for kicking me into gear to write up mine!
I like that we travelled only days apart yet the weather and vagaries of meets with freight trains mean we saw different views of the same country.