Could this be the final round of SkyTrain Canada Line’s early closures within Richmond due to ongoing construction work for Capstan Station?
Starting on Monday, April 8, until Friday, May 24, the Canada Line between Bridgeport Station and Richmond-Brighouse Station will shut down early on weekday nights at 9:30 pm — about four hours early. Regular service will resume on Saturday, May 25.
Frequent riders of SkyTrain in Richmond are likely now used to such a temporary service pattern that shuts down the Canada Line early, which impacts Bridgeport, Aberdeen, Lansdowne, and Richmond-Brighouse stations only. Extra bus service will be deployed between these impacted stations, with buses running about every 10 minutes.
According to the public transit authority, the latest scheduled service interruptions are needed to allow construction crews to safely finish work on the platform, including installing safety systems and electrical devices and further integrating the station with the existing Canada Line track.
Construction progress on Capstan Station on SkyTrain Canada Line, as of March 24, 2024. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)
To accommodate station construction activities, major scheduled service disruptions lasting for consecutive weeks — and even months — have been occurring on the Canada Line segment in Richmond between Bridgeport and Richmond-Brighouse stations since 2022, specifically regular early closures of service in the evening. The longest consecutive disruption with early shutdowns was for a period of over three months between early September and mid-December in 2023.
Capstan Station is located near the northeast corner of the intersection of No. 3 Road and Capstan Way, roughly midway between Bridgeport and Aberdeen stations.
The $52-million construction project is now on the home stretch, with an anticipated station opening in the middle of 2024.
However, this represents a significant delay, as the station was previously anticipated to finish and open in Summer 2023. Construction first began in September 2021.
Artistic rendering of Capstan Station on SkyTrain Canada Line. (Office of McFarlane Biggar Architects & Designers/TransLink)
Artistic rendering of Capstan Station on SkyTrain Canada Line. (Office of McFarlane Biggar Architects & Designers/TransLink)
Artistic rendering of Capstan Station on SkyTrain Canada Line. (Office of McFarlane Biggar Architects & Designers/TransLink)