Secrets of the Vancouver SkyTrain

[@natatatt]

The sound of the skytrain is so specific and nostalgic to me as a Vancouverite.

[@kevinklassen4328]

Fun fact: There's a Skytrain rap song. I can't remember who made it, but you should totally include it on your next Skytrain video.

[@kevinklassen4328]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/iJicXpeklLGWetE

[@Wilma.Flintstone]

I have only visited Vancouver once, but I really loved the soft "whoosh" sound!

[@crowfoot1199]

oh man I was just about to post the same thing. ❤️

[@royparker8109]

I like the sound of other metros or subways or undergrounds

[@Tactics00]

My favorite Skytrain story was back in the 2000’s when these two backpackers from Calgary jumped on and was so confused and was looking for the driver. I asked them if they needed help Them: “Who’s driving this thing?” Me: “Oh, it’s driverless, the operator is in a building a ways away.” They were shook. “How long has this been around?” Me: “Since 1986” Them: “Oh! No way! That’s so cool!” Me: “Welcome to Vancouver!”

[@Worasi]

Awe! so cute! can you share more memories of Vancouver from the 2000's, someone won't be able to tell in 2024?

[@smwca123]

- When then BC Transit built the Expo Line in the 1980s, they deepened the Dunsmuir Tunnel by one foot to allow stacking the platforms at Granville and Burrard Stations. - The name SkyTrain was chosen as the winner of a public contest. A VERY quickly rejected idea: Fraser Area Rapid Transit.

[@rosemary288]

😂

[@rivellr]

i love to take FARTs

[@davidsantor1760]

F.A.R.T. 😃🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@andrewzhan5207]

yea they figure out that fast

[@AlphineWolf]

I mean it would mean it wouldn't be limited to just the Fraser Valley area.

[@samuelandaudrey]

Just loving your Vancouver series after recently discovering your channel. I grew up on Vancouver Island but never spent that much time in Vancouver. We've spent most of the past decade traveling abroad; this is is a great reminder to explore more of our backyard.

[@DownieLive]

Exactly. The last year has forced me to focus on my home city, and it’s amazing how lucky we are in this part of the world.

[@muhammaduwaismuhsinmuaz4385]

@@DownieLive Hello Downie!

[@Cartonies]

Nice!

[@naturallyherb]

Yes!! Finally a Geoff Marshall style video on the SkyTrain!

[@TupolevTU144]

Vicki looks different in this one. ; )

[@royparker8109]

I Love Geoff Marshall

[@vajayna_eklhabouh]

@@royparker8109 Geoff Marshall, but a cute Canadian guy version.

[@peng1790]

We need that connection line from surrey to Langley

[@graham1188]

So we can triple the crime rate in langley?

[@deanl0]

@@graham1188 It's already in Chilliwack go blame something else..

[@graham1188]

@@deanl0 whoever said anything about chilliwack

[@thestarinhereyes2]

Yes!!!

[@MeetTheH]

@@graham1188 there’s more to benefit when the connection happens. Increase of crime rate would be a minor issue from a government perspective and even from majority of non-Langley residents.

[@LiquidCat-99]

The experience of riding on expo line and Canada line is quite different, also I love the echo of the acceleration sound from the sky train when the sky train is exiting the underground tunnel of the Columbia station. That always give me goosebump.

[@LeahandLevi]

I'm all for the public transit hype we're building here! 🙏🏻🙋🏻‍♂️

[@DownieLive]

😂😂😄👍🏼

[@alberto5147]

*Public Transport.

[@ulmer5433]

@@DownieLive you forgot the record it still holds being the only line.that loops into itsself

[@DownieLive]

Really? Oh interesting, I didn’t know that.

[@ulmer5433]

@@DownieLive yeah before they switched it to the current format the millennium line went from waterfront to VCC Clark thereby passing g commercial station twice and we still have that record as the line still technically loops on itsself still u switch from.expo at production way to go to VCC clark if u start from.waterfront your thede by passing commercial station twice hence the line is looping in on itself

[@kingsleychan]

One more hidden gem, Prince Charles and Princess Diana rode the SkyTrain from Waterfront to Patterson Station, and rode in Car 014. What's more, the same car has plaques commemorating a visit from the " the prince and princess of Belgium, and the princess of Thailand." I remember seeing the plaque on one of the older Expo line trains once, hope that car 014 is still in use!

[@buzzbronx696]

I pooped on aisle 15 seat 4

[@pixynowwithevenmorebelkanb6965]

@@buzzbronx696 what

[@ryan_alexander]

@@buzzbronx696 Hasn't everyone?

[@muhammaduwaismuhsinmuaz4385]

@@buzzbronx696 😂

[@romeandjames778]

I'm from Winnipeg and we don't have anything like the Skytrain so when I went to Vancouver I was blown away. The closest we have to it is a system called Rapid transit where city busses have their own speed ways.

[@thatwintanjeen5743]

Same here

[@jaymzscratchin8553]

My dad died in 1984.But in the fall of 1983 the Main st station gave us a test drive.One of my only memories of him.Nobody ever believes the 1983 story and argue that it was Expo.Thanks

[@billgoeckel6344]

You are definitely very creative, always finding something new for your channel. Great video Mike. Thanks again Cheers

[@MacAdvisor]

In the busy world we all live in, I rarely get the time to say thank you to the people that have made this last horror of a year bearable, if not down right fun. You are one and near the top of the list. I loved your travel videos and all the train rides before the shutdown, but your exploration of Vancouver has been one of the brightest lights of the year. Each week, you take me away to BC and to a small, little known gem. Someplace not really famous, but fun and charming. I've seen the mosaic of your childhood artwork, friendly lamas, treehouse vacations, train hotel rooms, you family and so, so much more. All of them accompanied by your cheerful, upbeat style. Even in the worst moment, such as the suicide death of your friend, you found The Light and showed it to us. I don't know where I am going now that things may be getting back to normal, but I know I will always want to have your videos along with me. Um, how did you get to drive a SkyTrain car if they are driverless?

[@DownieLive]

Thank you so much. Those are very kind and powerful words. I really appreciate it. As for driving the driverless SkyTrain... you’ll have to watch and see 😉

[@jaredcampbell]

Another great video. We take the skytrain for granted and complain about it always but it is a pretty awesome system. I used to work in the building that it runs through at the Main street station. You could only hear it on the bottom floor and the floor just above it. But only a little bit.

[@petemichael4512]

Mike , what an asset the SkyTrain is for Vancouver. I love the public art in portions of it and the SkyBridge is a work of art on it's own. Vancouver has changed a lot since I was first their in the 60's. When I see the Science Center, I'm certain it is was built for the World's Fair of 1986. In that area called Yaletown with not much in it, the magnificent fair was born. I remember riding the SkyTrain to the Canadian Pavilion called Canada Place with it's unique roof. Later to become the Vancouver Trade & Convention Center. The place where Cruise ships now depart and return. Your videos emphasize the beauty of a city I love. Thanks and keep it up.

[@daneb.mcfadhen9896]

They need more art in the stations just like Montreal's Metro.

[@crazyer6]

I live in Vancouver, why do I feel nostalgic looking and hearing the skytrain again

[@jungwonofeden4603]

Quarantine has got you?

[@wonderfulfable]

Thank you for mentioning Kuala Lumpur, my home city. And one of the rapid transit lines in KL shares the same rolling stock that the Vancouver SkyTrain uses. The Innovia ART 200 and Innovia Metro 300 rolling stocks are also running on the 46.4KM Kelana Jaya transit line.

[@midnightblaze05]

Wow! I just realized, it’ been almost exactly one year since I took the skytrain and public transit!

[@spentcasing3990]

Fun fact. If you take the Millennium Line occasionally a crack head will pole dance for you.

[@chrisyu327]

Yup seen her few times

[@vyomps]

Love the Vancouver skytrain so much. I recently filmed a SkyTrain timelapse on the expo line. Driverless carriage certainly makes creating videos very easy :) Wish we had more such transit systems across the country.

[@huhuhu543]

I love taking the skytrain..the ride is always smooth and comfortable. Also, my observation is that vancouver skytrain is one of the fastest evolving public transportation system . Translink brings good upgrades in trains and station very regularly. The views from skytrain on evergreen line are more pretty than expo line. They also put multilingual signs

[@ShawnChristopher10101]

Nice to see you back!

[@DownieLive]

It’s nice to be back.

[@akana_]

My hometown transit system! Very proud of my hometown’s metro! Also, back in the day, I did a presentation on the LIM system! It’s an interesting fact, and a skytrain staff once gave me a demonstration of the system, but it is important to note that the trains also have manual brakes, along with the induction brakes. Great video, even though being a Vancouver transit nerd I knew most of these already! Keep up the good work!

[@DownieLive]

Thanks for sharing!

[@PrepsTexas]

Fun fact-filled video... absolutely love light rail and subway systems!

[@jmstransit]

1:26 Close, but TransLink was formed in 1999 - BC transit was what you were looking for there. Brings me to say how until 1999 transit was I believe a crown corporation here in BC. You were able to transfer buses around the different cities in the province at a lesser cost. Other provinces/states had a different transit system per city.

[@ransom182]

We’re very proud of our rapid transit system in Vancouver. It’s not the longest, or fastest, or most impressive but it represents the immense change in our region that’s happened over the last 35 years.

[@DownieLive]

Exactly.

[@robmausser]

The Skytrain is actually quite impressive for a city the size of Vancouver. Most cities its size only have a small LRT system, not a completely grade separated metro.

[@ChrisJohannsen]

It's lagging way behind actual change though and is underbuilt

[@TheNewGreenIsBlue]

Quite a bit faster average speed than Montreal or Toronto's subway... and that's what really counts. hehehe

[@hammerfan752]

Finally a good video that focuses on Vancouver Skytrain, I've been waiting on this for a while

[@AD_RC]

Don't quote me on these but, King Edward Station is also stacked vertically. It's the only one like this in the Canada Line, and it's particularly far from the next and previous stations, they stack around 16th Ave and unstack around the southern curve around QE Park. The reason it goes around the Park it's because they're saving the space to build an eventual new station on Cambie and W33rd so my guess is that this new station would be vertically stacked too... I think that's what I know, I don't know if it's exactly a secret.

[@smallstudiodesign]

My favourite station is Brentwood Towne Centre ... love the architecture - curvy wood ribs ... reminiscent of an upside down canoe or maybe even a skeleton of a giant whale.

[@idrxy8439]

My favorite skytrain station is newwest minster station there is alot of fast food restaurants beside it

[@nikkeisimmer8795]

Shoulda been there in the 90s...there wasn't near as much as there are now. Used to go to Douglas College back in 89-92. There was the Chinese food place, BK down in the strip mall and nothing else around.

[@jmstransit]

I also remember SkyTrain has had no fatal accidents pertaining to derailments and crashes - should be a record of some sort. Make that 2 world records and 1 continental record.

[@maryjanetheresa604]

No fatal accidents? Yes! At gateway!

[@jmstransit]

@@maryjanetheresa604 crashes/derailments arent in the same category as trains hitting people but okay

[@qjtvaddict]

Advanced signals

[@Cartonies]

@@maryjanetheresa604 WHAT? HOW????

[@Cartonies]

@@maryjanetheresa604 or person on track that's a fatal accident at Gateway tho

[@angmlr007]

Thank you for bringing a smile to our faces with your incredible energy and good vibes, Mike. Keep the videos coming!!

[@DownieLive]

Always!

[@BayAreaTraveler]

I continue to find these videos on various trivia about Vancouver quite fascinating. You're very fortunate to grow up in a beautiful city like Vancouver.

[@awesomejess]

I never knew about the 4th side in the Stadium - chinatown station, good to know! Thank you for telling us and I live in Vancouver :)

[@threeparots1]

I forgot about that exit too however I thought he was going to mention the sidewalk ramp up to the side platform that was used exclusively for expo 86 for loading trains bound for the Canada pavilion.

[@shelbehave2780]

I didn't know that either....pretty cool

[@DownieLive]

I was going to, then kind of thought that wasn’t really a secret... 🤷🏼‍♂️

[@threeparots1]

@@DownieLive good point.

[@shruthijayavenukumar]

Wow! I love your videos, Mike. There is soooo much colour and character to your whole presentation! Love from India. ❤️

[@moomoo869]

When you have a chance, you should visit fort Langley.

[@thestarinhereyes2]

Omg yes, love Fort Langley so cute and somewhat dainty/whimsical. Like you’re going back in time but also with some modern touches 😍

[@collinparsons3363]

The Sky Train uses Bombardier's Innovia system. It's mostly used as airport transportation, like at JFK airport in New York City, but Vancouver has by far the biggest system, using it for their entire metro system.

[@RedHillian]

Fantastic! I'm all about the small pleasures of exploring public transport in other places (no, genuinely - I love public transport)! Thanks for the whistle stop tour of Vancouver's SkyTrain!

[@davidburgess3882]

I live in the Seattle area but always enjoy exploring Vancouver. Hopefully the border will open soon. You should do an episode on Seattle transit. So many modes. Commuter rail, light rail, streetcar, trolley coach, monorail, ferry (both auto and passenger only). Plus Cascades service from Vancouver and south to Eugene, OR. Really enjoy your videos.

[@DownieLive]

That's a great idea! Thanks David!

[@Sprouht]

Never in my life did I think I would be so fascinated by a SkyTrain video! Or maybe the host is just that great. I'll say both. Amazing vid Mike!

[@DownieLive]

😄😄 you’re too kind, Will. It must be that the SkyTrain is just a surprisingly interesting topic 🤷🏼‍♂️😉

[@mightyoaks9331]

Canada Line is the weird line in the mix, it has a conventional drive mechanism instead of the induction technology. Still driverless. Cool video.

[@DownieLive]

Very true. The Canada Line is technically considered Heavy Rail.

[@livinglife3483]

Wow! What a great video!!! Extra points for the on point pace. Thank you!!!!!!!

[@DownieLive]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@AidanWLees]

First watched the channel when you were on a narrow boat in England, now I’m in Vancouver and still enjoying the channel

[@ap94131]

Once again a very interesting and very informative video. Thank for posting great content on such a regular basis--makes my week.

[@kalrobbins2811]

Very cool! I love your videos about the trains! They're great!

[@guldukat2453]

Recommend making a visit to Montréal once the pandemic is over. We are also getting a 67 km Skytrain-like system (the REM) that complements the existing Montréal Metro. First branch opens in Spring 2022 from South Shore to downtown MTL.

[@ashleyb3110]

I love watching your videos i live in surrey and take the skytrain a lot of the time so watching these videos just makes me love taking the skytrain and finding out new things each time

[@harrybutler1828]

Excellent video Mike. Full of information.

[@MrStoppingallstation]

Always look forward to watching your adventures Mike.Skytrain is so cool and thanks for showing as around.

[@paulstransportandmore]

I'm going to be in Vancouver soon, and all this information will be really helpful for navigation around the city on transit!

[@jcbaily5559]

Glad you are well and doing ok....thanks!

[@CrissPons]

Living in Vancouver and learning as i have never visited. Kudos MIKE!

[@NorthcoastDrone]

Thanks for posting. Makes me miss the Skytrain we used to come to Vancouver twice a year and we always loved riding the skytrain. Cant wait until Covid is over soe we can come back. Thanks for posting

[@monkegamer4953]

2:07 fun fact: pressure is x2 as strong at 10m every time you go down. You may not feel it, but when you go from outside to inside, you feel it pretty well.

[@gina_borrman]

Newbie here! I never thought it would be so much fun watching your video and learning just about everything while we travel with you. Your full of energy and speed just like these trains!lol Thanks for sharing the precise and good information about this train ride! 🇵🇭🇺🇸

[@cgj28ok]

Great video. The existing tunnels under the downtown core were part of an old rail system called the Interurban, and the underground public restrooms at Victory Square and Carnegie Library are remnants of those stations that didn't get reopened.

[@DownieLive]

Thanks for the info!

[@cici_tlb4009]

Gateway station to Scott Road in Surrey is a beautiful ride, the cars below only see trees, but on the skytrain you get a view of New West and Coquitlam which built on the side of a mountain and really pretty in the morning and afternoon

[@phebzb1069]

Way to go Mike👍All the superlative descriptions on how you present your video vlogs goes with it. You rock👏👍🙏😷Watching here from Mississauga. On.

[@DownieLive]

Wow, thank you!

[@nancymu7629]

Thank you for the video. Haven’t taken the sky train for years, really miss it.

[@samman18]

this is insanely well edited man wow

[@wceyuki]

You just HAVE to love the sound of the MK1 cars accelerating!

[@robertjosephmurphyii4947]

Love it Mike thanks again for the great video. Keep up the awesome job.

[@rogaldorn8991]

I remember working on the Canada Line when it was being built and riding the train completely alone to pick up material from one station to the other. Good times

[@tokyod-man5182]

Really great video! Thanks! I will remember some of this the next time I go downtown!

[@DownieLive]

Have fun!

[@dianeboileau2026]

Great video Mike! Haven't been on Skytrain for a few years but it's a great way to go downtown and not worry about parking.

[@DownieLive]

I totally agree!

[@barbb]

Wow. Loved this Mike. So many thing I didn’t know and I live in the area.

[@DownieLive]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@stufromoz8164]

I rermember that in 1985, gee you live in a great country, leaders with forsight and statesperson qualities which shows in your infrastructure. Awesome country I can see why you have pride in your country, thats excelent.

[@DelightfulTravellers]

Great video as always Downie! Really diggin' all these Van vids! 👊 - Trevor

[@DownieLive]

Sweet! Thanks Trevor!

[@user-os6il2ed6k]

Was randomly searching up videos about Vancouver and chanced on this one of yours - great content so it was an easy decision to subscribe!! :) Pre pandemic, I took the skytrain into downtown every weekday for work and I remember disliking it so much because of rush hour crowding and delays... but I didn't realize I actually maybe even miss the commute (despite my complaints) because I've been working from home for so long until your video. Great work promoting our city, keep the videos coming!

[@DownieLive]

Awesome, thank you!

[@robertnewman1341]

Many of the carbon collector shoes that are used to collect the current from the 'third rail', to power the motors, are made in Swansea in Wales.

[@中国杨]

Mass transit is what we city: skyliners (or just me) call the spirit of a city. BTW it’s amazing to see another city doing the whole rail-going-through-a- building trick, the one I’m most familiar with is Chongqing, China, also known as Mountain City; there’s a monorail station inside a building across three floors; one side of it is a mountain, and the other side is the Jialing River, a major branch of the famous Yangtze River.

[@TM-qj4yr]

Thank you Mike for such an informative video on skytrain.

[@cbronoord]

I LOVE TransLink Vancouver. Can't get enough of the POV video's of all lines, on KZbin. I would love to ride all lines in a single day. In each season, in each weather condition, early morning, daytime and late at night. Can you tell I am kind of adicted to Vancouver? Anyway, my favorite station is Matrotown, because it's directly connected to Metropolis Mall. And of course New West, since that's the very first station I visited back in '96. Can't wait for the new lines to be filmed for KZbin.

[@brandonpeniuk]

Another great video choo chooing along. Thanks Mike!

[@DownieLive]

You are welcome!

[@zinky123]

Great Job Michael, Great Job.

[@nooralhooda4151]

Àg

[@MattCook206]

Very cool video. Use to live a stones throw away from Main Street station. Saw my old building in the video. Thanks for the great content !

[@DownieLive]

Right on!

[@theironrhino110]

There was a segment from Paul J. Barnes BC Rail video which covered the Skytrain from operations in the late 1990s. As a kid that video was my first experiences of Vancouver and by 2017 at the age of 18 I finally got to Vancouver thanks to the Via Canada 150 special with my first thing done there being taking the Skytrain.

[@andrewkast4087]

Great informative video! Always like whatever you choose for a subject because it is interesting! Thank you!

[@NucksChawla09]

Thanks Mike for make inferences these videos especially in these in hard times in covid

[@zackschwab5036]

Great video as always! Such a wholesome channel.

[@DownieLive]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@Deamonslayer576]

This video ended up in my feed back in March and I loved it so much you gained a subscriber. And now several months later, I am rewatching it because I just started a job working on the Broadway Subway Expansion and it is so cool to be a part of this system.

[@DownieLive]

Awesome!

[@TeraAFK]

Vancouver has the noisiest, screechiest, rockiest rides of all the rails ive been on

[@peng1790]

It's art ;)

[@spentcasing3990]

The newer lines are better like the Canada line. But the older Expo and Millennium lines can be a bit rough

[@lamjedmoussi5652]

Wow you are amazing Mike and yes we are with you ❤❤🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@didisinclair3605]

Great job at finding interesting things to show us while you're unable to travel!!! Thanks so much!

[@DownieLive]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@happyhealthysupport]

Hi Mike. I hold a Guinness World Record for being the person who has “The fastest time to travel to all Vancouver skyTrain stations (which) is 2 hours, 49 minutes and 37.69 seconds, and was achieved by Stephen Quinlan (Canada) in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, on 4 May 2018”. As my certificate says. I intend to set the record again when there is new track. If you want to try and break my Guinness World Record, I would be happy to tell you all about it. (I believe records are for beating).

[@DownieLive]

Interesting. I think I’d like to film you attempt to set the new record.

[@happyhealthysupport]

@@DownieLive I will let you know when I do it. I am thinking it might even be something I do on the first day they open the extension. But I would need to speak to transit very much ahead of time. (Which I intend to do). You would not believe the side of the team I need. 2 timekeepers 2 independent witnesses a photographer and a videographer to meet the requirements set out by Guinness. If you want background, you can visit my website. (Don’t think I can send the link) but it’s a .ca domain and it’s called fastest skytrain.

[@macm3081]

@@daveydudely9954 😂

[@benfleishman2944]

I beat you recently! 2 hours and 38 minutes. I didn’t know there was a guiness record though, so your title is safe for now 😅

[@happyhealthysupport]

@@benfleishman2944 Hi Ben, I think you should register and see if you can officially beat my record. I would be happy to provide you with any support you want. If you want to reach out to me, I can go though all the details you need. I believe records are for beating, so I would be happy to walk you though how to get the Guinness World Record for travelling to all the skytrain stations in the fastest time. This is also an open offer to anyone who wants to beat my record. I would love someone to beat it.

[@catherinedeseton964]

I love finding out about places on a more in-depth kind of local look...thanks for sharing from Catherine in New Zealand

[@tr_nt.]

1:46 Legend has it, the number of stairs is equivalent to a 15 storey building.

[@hollygwynn9233]

I loved this! I missed you last week but I hope you had a fabulous time celebrating your birthday!🥳🥳🥳

[@DownieLive]

I did! Thank you, Holly!

[@ryan_alexander]

I've lived here my whole life, but your videos really give me a new perspective on how cool Vancouver really is! Cheers from the North Shore, bud!

[@DownieLive]

Amazing! Thanks Ryan!

[@iammandydhaliwal]

Thank you! I'm new to Vancouver. I'm so happy I came across your channel! Looking forward to watching your videos :)

[@DownieLive]

Awesome! Welcome, Mandy!

[@Aaron-kp6kp]

3:20 I love that sound

[@universalconquest4447]

Thank you for the great video!

[@quonslecn7755]

Another world record: World's shortest trains used during rush hours on the Millenium/Evergreen lines

[@jamesschultz3190]

Funny cause it's TRUE

[@Cartonies]

yeah its true

[@noorkhorasi]

I personally love columbia station - floats in the air on a small bridge leading to skybridge and then you behold amazing views.

[@rajjie100]

I remember being on the train and there was a strung out women sitting at the front seat on the first train . I didn't know that they are autonomous and was scared that a junkie was driving the train.

[@thihal123]

I love the automated system. I wish they expanded to South Delta and North Delta

[@martin.feuchtwanger]

Neither Delta has enough population to warrant having a SkyTrain extension. First will be west to UBC, then Surrey to Langley, then more Richmond.

[@thihal123]

@@martin.feuchtwanger , oh I know that. It would just be nice to have that extension to Delta

[@jacklane3368]

Another great, informative video, Mike!

[@louhvie]

So many fun facts that I didnt know about! Thanks for the continuous good quality on your videos and the enthusiastic commentary :)

[@fullsaildigital]

Cool video mike. I liked the editing and perfect length