People gathered at Richmond's newest Canada Line station on Friday morning, hoping to board the first train to stop there.
The Capstan Station, located between Bridgeport and Aberdeen stations, officially opened on Dec. 20.
This is the second station TransLink has built on an already existing SkyTrain line. The first was Lake City Way in 2003, after the Millennium Line was already in service.
Compared to other Canada Line stations, Capstan has a larger concourse and waiting area, two sets of escalators, space for retail and is the first "digital station" with upgraded display screens.
Local artist Howie Tsui's artwork is displayed inside the station.
Translink CEO Kevin Quinn was joined by Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie, Musqueam Indian Band Chief Wayne Sparrow, city councillors, local developers and municipal and provincial politicians at a media event on Friday morning.
"Canada Line ridership grew by 20 per cent in 2023 compared to the previous year, and Capstan Station will help meet continued ridership demand in Richmond and beyond," said Quinn.
He added up to 37,000 customers ride the Canada Line between Aberdeen and Bridgeport daily.
"The transit-oriented neighbourhood we're in today is expected soon to be home to roughly 16,000 people, and this new station will ensure current and future residents of Capstan Village can make transit their number one transportation option and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions."
Brodie said the station was needed to accommodate the growing population and transit in Capstan Village.
"The Capstan Station is an example of how the City of Richmond, through an innovative first-of-its-kind-in-Canada funding collaboration with developers, can deliver much-needed community amenities without direct costs to local taxpayers," said Brodie.
"The station will bring sustainable transportation closer to thousands of residents and support this vibrant, growing neighbourhood for decades to come.”
TransLink also announced it will increase Canada Line capacity during peak hours.
Two-year delay in construction
The project, announced in 2021, was initially priced at $52 million, with costs shared between the City of Richmond and TransLink. It was expected to be completed in 2022.
However, delays caused by supply chain issues, worksite conditions and construction schedules pushed the completion to the summer of 2022 and once again to late 2023.
Not only was the opening date delayed by two years, but this also added an extra $10 million to the project price tag for a total of $62 million. Of the total cost, $32.2 million was contributed by developers.
When asked what caused the two-year delay, Quinn explained the station's location had "unstable soil conditions" and that ongoing developments in the area created challenges.
"Between those two things, that necessitated us to make some structural upgrades to the station that took some time to do," he said.
"Safety is always going to be paramount for us, and so in prioritizing the safety of the station, we want to be sure that we have a station that's here for years...for decades, for generations to come."
These adjustments increased the overall cost as well, Quinn added.
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