Stanley Park Train won't return this year, and maybe never will
The beloved and beleaguered Stanley Park Train will officially remain off the tracks for the rest of 2025 – meaning no Halloween or Christmas route – and the City of Vancouver is deliberating the future of the attraction.
The 1960s-era locomotive was halted early last holiday season after a worker got sick from exhaust fumes, adding to a long list of reasons the attraction has operated only sporadically over the past five years, including mechanical problems, the pandemic, and coyotes.
In a presentation to the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation Monday, staff said the train is at the end of its life, and therefore repairs are becoming more frequent and expensive.
The Stanley Park Train lost $2.9 million from 2019 to 2024 and about $700,000 this year, according to the report.
The situation as it stands poses safety, financial, reputational, and operational risks, the park board heard.
Staff presented three possible options for the future of the site on Monday, which include electrifying and fixing the current train, replacing the train and its tracks, and creating a new attraction entirely with a third-party partner.
'Preliminary analysis shows that a full renewal of the train and the ancillary buildings and amenities could require substantial capital investment,' reads a Tuesday news release from the City of Vancouver.
'Alternative operating models, including some form of partnership or third-party operation could lead to a revitalized, reimagined attraction that would reduce the reliance on tax dollars to return the site to operation.'
Fixing or replacing the train would cost about $8 million and would garner the lowest financial returns, staff told the board. Meanwhile, the report said the city has received 'multiple proposals' from businesses to build something new, and claimed that would lead to more revenue and more visitors, including tourists.
Park Board Commissioner Scott Jensen told CTV News he'd most like to see the train remain in Stanley Park, but will keep an open mind and wants to hear what residents prefer.
The presentation indicated ticket prices at an externally operated site could go up to $45. Staff anticipate an increase in prices if the attraction remains at the status quo as well, up to $20.
'I would want to look at what is going to be the best fit for that space that lets the most people have access to it, you know, some parks should not be for some and exclude others,' Jensen said.
The specifics of keeping the train in action or remaking the site with a new business model remain up in the air. Consultation on the options is expected to begin this quarter and a call for expression of interest will launch later this year.
Park board staff are expected to present further findings in early 2026.
'As part of their report, staff will bring forward proposed strategies for engaging key interest holders and the public, as appropriate, on any changes to the train and its site,' the city's statement reads.
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