A Canada Line train car experienced an electrical failure causing an onboard fire at Aberdeen station Saturday afternoon, Translink confirmed in a statement Monday.
This was the first instance of a Canada Line electrical failure in the line’s five-year history.
Translink said passengers were taken off the train at Aberdeen, including one person with mobility issues, who was assisted by Richmond Fire Rescue.
Passengers communicated the fire with Canada Line staff via an intercom.
“A full investigation is being conducted to determine the root cause. In the meantime, all Canada Line trains will be inspected, and a modification to the train component that caused Saturday’s problem will be made to prevent reoccurrence. The Canada Line train is designed to have a very low risk of fire,” stated Translink spokesperson Cheryl Ziola.
Just after 3 p.m. Translink announced a shuttle bus service would move passengers between Brighouse and Bridgeport stations as smoke began billowing from one of the cars.
Ziola said the fire came from below and the train car floors are fireproof.
Twitter user Robin Leung (@robinleung) shared a photo of the fire on the social media website, showing smoke coming from the car. It was rapidly shared amongst media outlets and social media sites.
“For a tunnel evacuation, the Canada Line has a ‘tunnel ventilation system’ used to extract smoke from the tunnel and platforms for additional passenger safety,” stated Ziola.
