The SkyTrain is one of the iconic features of Vancouver for many locals.
Nearing its 40th birthday, the slowly expanding light rail system is one of the most used in North America.
It was also the longest automated system in the world for a time—and carpeted.
Here are five other facts you may not have known about the SkyTrain system.
1. Certificates were given for rides on March 28, 1994
In 1994, the SkyTrain extension to Surrey finally opened, and to celebrate certificates were handed out.
They were given to people who rode the rails in Surrey on the first day it was open: March 28, 1994.
2. Extra Stadium-Chinatown platform
A unique feature of the Stadium-Chinatown station is its extra platform and track.
That's actually a remnant from the SkyTrain's earliest days.
Expo 86 had a huge area around False Creek, but the Canada pavilion wasn't located there. It was located on Burrard Inlet; it's Canada Place.
Since the Expo site was an enclosed area, the extra track ran from Stadium-Chinatown to Waterfront, keeping people within the festival's bounds at all times.
It was expected the extra track would be used to help deal with extra riders or peak flow after Expo, but it actually complicated things, so it's been left out of the system since.
3. Buttons used to open doors
While one of the features of the SkyTrain has always been how automatic everything is, one thing that wasn't initially was the doors.
When getting on or off the cars, you had to press a button.
Getting on the cars was a bit of a gamble, as the doors would stay open anywhere from five to 20 seconds after the button was pushed.
4. There's a SkyTrain time capsule
To mark the launch of the SkyTrain in 1985, a time capsule was created with newspapers, a film about the development of the system, the names of 5,000 people who were involved in the building of the transit system, and more.
It was sealed by Premier Bill Bennett and is being stored at New Westminster Station, where it's supposed to sit until 2085.
5. Eating and drinking and "sound systems"
When the SkyTrain was first launched in 1985, there were some basic rules BC Transit (which ran Vancouver's transit before TransLink) asked everyone to follow.
There were a few common sense rules and a couple that are still in place today, like "stay behind the yellow line."
However, this brochure from 1985 shows that eating and drinking weren't allowed on board the SkyTrain, and neither were "sound systems."
Another brochure asks people not to bring food to the platform.
Also, bikes weren't allowed on board, nor were large bags.
