West Coast Express

West Coast Express commuter trains operate on a 40-mile segment of Canadian Pacific’s transcontinental main line between Mission City and Vancouver’s Waterfront Station, serving 8 stations. The name for the commuter operation was selected by a panel of judges from over 8,000 contest entries. Service began on November 1, 1995.

The proposal to develop commuter service came from a citizens advisory committee studying ways to improve transportation in and around Vancouver. The service was planned and inaugurated by British Columbia Transit. On April 1, 1999, West Coast Express became a subsidiary of BC Transit successor TransLink, Vancouver’s new regional transportation authority, which also operates the SkyTrain, SeaBus, Albion ferry, and regional bus routes.

Five trains depart Mission City weekday mornings, and depart Vancouver during the evening rush. A West Coast Express TrainBus provides an extra late-evening departure, stopping at all stations on the WCE route. There is no regularly scheduled service on weekends or holidays, although special event trains to Vancouver operate on selected weekends in the summer.

Trains operate push-pull with F59PHI locomotives from EMD, and bi-level passenger cars from Bombardier. WCE’s weekday ridership averaged 8,000 passengers in 2001.

A unique West Coast Express amenity are its Brain Train seminars – presentations that cover various areas of professional and personal development, held in one car of inbound morning trains.

West Coast Express Limited
Suite 295 – 601 West Cordova Street
Vancouver, B.C. V6B 1G1
(604) 488-8906, and (604) 683-RAIL
www.westcoastexpress.com