A major construction project by TransLink is now underway on the Fraser River’s industrial waterfront in South Vancouver, just beyond the southernmost foot of Cambie Street and immediately west of SkyTrain Canada Line’s North Arm Bridge.
A TransLink spokesperson told Daily Hive Urbanized construction is now underway on the brand new Marpole Transit Centre bus depot.
This is no ordinary bus depot, as it will be TransLink’s very first brand new purpose-built bus depot dedicated to the future major fleet of battery-electric buses.
The current initial work on the vacant 20-acre site — situated just south of Canadian Pacific’s freight railway — involves site preparation work, including foundation piling.
According to the development permit application approved by the City of Vancouver, the entire site will be elevated on a platform about 4.6 metres above sea level to serve a “superdyke” function — higher than the existing ground elevation of between 2.5 metres and 3.3 metres. The complex will elevated about two metres higher than Kent Avenue along the norther perimeter, and a flood protection wall will be built along the south perimeter fronting the river.
The spokesperson further noted that Marpole Transit Centre is currently timed for a completion and opening in 2028. The project’s construction cost was last stated at about $300 million.
Construction progress on TransLink’s Marpole Transit Centre bus depot for battery-electric buses, as seen from the SkyTrain Canada Line bridge on November 23, 2024. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)
This facility will have a capacity to store, charge, operate, and maintain about 300 battery-electric bus vehicles, including the space needs for the large workforce of bus drivers assigned to the fleet.
There will be two main buildings on the site, with the largest being a 638,000 sq ft operations building with three levels, including bus staging and storage at ground level, bus charging and a substation on the second level, and administrative/dispatch facilities and employee/visitor parking on the third level.
The second building for maintenance spaces will span 125,000 sq ft across two levels, containing bus maintenance and repair bays, tire shops, parts storage, and support areas for mechanics and maintenance staff.
Long vehicle ramps will link the multi-level buildings to the surrounding streets.
The complex is jointly designed by WSP Global, Architecture 49, and TWD Technologies.
While this facility is intended to be dedicated to the battery-electric bus fleet, it will also have the necessary facilities to handle conventional fossil fuel-powered buses.
This facility complements TransLink’s nearby Vancouver Transit Centre bus depot, which primarily serves trolley electric buses. Located on the edge of the Fraser River, Vancouver Transit Centre lies just west of the Marpole Transit Centre, next to the northern end of the Arthur Laing Bridge.
Upon completion, Marpole Transit Centre will be a highly visible structure for those entering or leaving Vancouver on the Canada Line.
Site of the Marpole Transit Centre. (TransLink)
Site plan of the Marpole Transit Centre. (TransLink)
Artistic rendering of the Marpole Transit Centre. (TransLink)
Artistic rendering of the Marpole Transit Centre. (TransLink)
The construction of the Marpole Transit Centre is crucial for TransLink’s capacity to transition from fossil fuel-powered buses to battery-electric buses.
Investments are also being made to upgrade the existing Port Coquitlam Transit Centre bus depot to designate it as one of TransLink’s initial major facilities for maintaining and charging battery-electric buses.
Both the new Marpole Transit Centre and upgraded Port Coquitlam Transit Centre represent the first of many major bus depot infrastructure projects needed to support TransLink’s bus service expansion plans and transition to battery-electric buses over the coming two decades.
A portion of this industrial waterfront site for Marpole Transit Centre, which has the addresses of 8902-9001 Heather Street and 502 West Kent Avenue, was previously contemplated by the Vancouver Park Board for a 10-acre waterfront public park, including the possibility of a natural outdoor swimming pool.
Currently, construction is also underway on the OMC4 SkyTrain depot on a 27-acre site near Braid Station in Coquitlam for the growing storage and maintenance needs of the train fleet for the Expo and Millennium lines. It is expected to reach completion in 2027, just in time for the full arrival of the new generation Mark V SkyTrain cars.
Additionally, the existing OMC2 SkyTrain depot in the Edmonds area of Burnaby — just across from the main OMC1 SkyTrain depot — is currently in the process of being expanded with a new state-of-the-art SkyTrain control centre building to serve the Expo and Millennium lines. It is expected to open in 2026.
Artistic rendering of the Marpole Transit Centre. (TransLink)
Artistic rendering of the Marpole Transit Centre’s operations building. (TransLink)
Artistic rendering of the Marpole Transit Centre’s operations building. (TransLink)
Artistic rendering of the Marpole Transit Centre’s maintenance building. (TransLink)
Site plan of the Marpole Transit Centre. (TransLink)
Site and traffic movement plan for Marpole Transit Centre. (TransLink)
Artistic rendering of the Marpole Transit Centre. (TransLink)
Artistic rendering of the Marpole Transit Centre. (TransLink)