Written by 
Article content
Portables for overcrowded Surrey schools? Super boring — but super safe — party buses? Survivalist bunkers for people seeking refuge if Trump wins the U.S. election?
OK, those are all terrible ideas — but TransLink is looking for better ones for its vintage Mark I SkyTrain cars, which are being taken out of service after nearly four decades of criss-crossing Metro Vancouver.
The transit agency will decommission 150 of the cars, the original vehicles in the SkyTrain fleet, over the next couple of years. They are being steadily replaced as new Mark V trains arrive and are brought into service.
Article content
Community organizations, municipalities, developers and individuals are encouraged to submit proposals for the retiring trains, which have served millions of riders since they were introduced during Expo 86 but are past their due date as transit vehicles.
“Relocation of the original fleet presents a unique opportunity to celebrate the region’s transit history,” TransLink said in a news release this week.
Those with a successful bid for any of the trains would be responsible for relocating the SkyTrain cars from the B.C. Rapid Transit Company storage facility and must cover the cost of repurposing the cars.
Expressions of interest and ideas for the trains’ use can be made through a request for information at service.ariba.com. Applications are being accepted in this round until Dec. 6, though more will be available after other Mark I cars are retired.
Recommended from Editorial
Share this article in your social network