I took a ride on the new Evergreen Skytrain Line extension on its opening day to check things out.
First impressions are mostly good. The new line uses the same mix of cars as the other lines, including the latest Mark III cars.
The stations are bright and shiny with all the standard and upgraded signage. There are large electronic signs that show how long before the next trains will be arriving and their destination along with other information. The stations seem larger than Canada Line stations as well, with room for a train with several cars.
The only negative from the trip on the train is that there is no cell phone service in the tunnel between Burquitlam and Moody Centre. I asked Translink if cell service would be available along the entire line including in the tunnel and the answer I got back was “Not at this time, but in the future that is a possibility.” So this was and is disappointing. Hopefully they do add the ability for people to use their cell phone on the train from end to end with no gaps. Maybe Telus will step up and invest in cell service on the new line?
At Coquitlam Station they had festivities and activities to celebrate the opening of the extension…food trucks, music, a vintage bus and various activities for the kids. There was a pretty good crowd on hand despite the heavy rain.
Time will tell how well the line is used.
Creativescans 