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Vancouver Sun
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Vancouver Sun
Stanley Park train will stay closed for the rest of 2025
The train in Stanley Park will stay off the rails for the rest of the year, and its future could be in jeopardy as the Vancouver Park Board explores alternative business models for the site. The popular Vancouver attraction was abruptly pulled out of service last Christmas after a train operator fell ill from exhaust fumes. It didn't return for this year's Easter season, and now won't be back for the summer or for the 'Ghost Train' events during Halloween or 'Bright Nights' in December. 'The ongoing safety risk and timeline to implement potential upgrades has forced the difficult decision to keep the train offline for the remainder of the 2025 operating season,' said John Brodie, the park board's director of business services, in a presentation to commissioners on Monday. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. According to a staff report, the train has been operating in the red in recent years, costing the park board nearly $3 million since 2019, its last full year of reliable operations. The train is estimated to record a loss this year of nearly $700,000, the latest in a series of woes that started in 2020 when the 60-year-old attraction was sidelined due to the COVID pandemic. In 2021, a rash of coyote attacks forced the closure of the miniature train for most of the year, and it failed a safety inspection in 2022. In 2023, Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim announced the train would return for the holiday season with the help of several private donations. But even after it resumed operations, ticketing issues and long virtual queues drew a public outcry, prompting an apology last Christmas from the park board. The financial cost and the hit to the park board and city's reputation has prompted staff to review potential new business models for the site, aligning with its Think Big strategy of seeking new revenue streams to support the city's park and recreation system. 'We know that there is a lot of interest in the market for business opportunities within Stanley Park,' Brodie told the park board. 'We've received a variety of business proposals for partnership opportunities over the past five years (at the Stanley Park train site).' He did not provide specifics, saying only that the proposals include a variety of concepts that are different from the status quo. A new business model could potentially provide a re-imagined attraction that would draw a broader range of visitors, appeal to tourists, provide an opportunity to engage with the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations, and provide a more reliable revenue stream, he said. The report said a third-party partnership could draw up to 400,000 visitors — significantly higher than the current 150,000 visitors who come for the Stanley Park train. Ticket prices would be higher for a different attraction compared to the train, but it would cost taxpayers less in capital costs. Maintaining the status quo provides the lowest financial return of the business models evaluated. Upgrading the train, tracks and facilities would cost about $8 million in capital investment, said the report. Park board staff plan to engage with First Nations on potential opportunities and will issue a formal call for requests for expressions of interest later this year. It will report to the board early next year with its findings. Some commissioners questioned the accessibility and affordability of a third-party attraction, and asked park board on how it plans to engage the public over the future of the beloved attraction. Brodie said staff are aware of the train's local popularity and young families, and said staff are committed to making sure the public's voice is heard. chchan@
CBC
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Stanley Park Train will be off the rails for 2025
Social Sharing It'll be another year off the rails for the popular Stanley Park Train ride, with park board staff citing safety concerns and the hefty costs of running the attraction. The train saw over 90,000 visitors in 2024 before it was derailed indefinitely on Dec. 13, after one of the train's drivers needed medical attention, having fallen ill due to exhaust from one of the train's locomotives. Now, staff say it won't be running in 2025, either. In its various iterations — such as the Halloween-themed Ghost Train and the Christmas event Bright Nights in the Park — the train has been a popular draw for families. Around 23,000 tickets were snapped up within 90 minutes of sale for the Bright Nights event in 2023, the first following a two-year hiatus. But on Monday, Vancouver Park Board staff revealed the future of the train is in jeopardy as the attraction has lost them hundreds of thousands of dollars per year. "Taken together, there are a host of risks associated with the Stanley Park Train right now," said John Brodie, the director of business services for the park board. He said those risks include the safety of operators, the financial burden and the reputational damage to the park board, given the regular closures of the train. The official said staff estimated the train would lose the park board $700,000 this year, and it had lost nearly $3 million in the last five years. WATCH | Future of Stanley Park Train uncertain: Stanley Park Train will be derailed for the rest of 2025 9 hours ago Duration 1:13 There are more questions about the future of the Stanley Park Train. As Amelia John reports, park board staff revealed Monday the popular Vancouver attraction will remain out of service for the rest of the year. Park board staff said they had received a series of third-party proposals, regarding sponsoring or donating to the train, which could change the ride's appeal to be more centred around tourists. "There's a lot of interest from external partners to reimagine the Stanley Park Train site," Brodie said. "It's in a prime location in one of the premier parks in the world." Staff said that maintaining the existing model — of the park board operating and maintaining the train — would provide the lowest financial upside of all the business models that they assessed. However, much remains up in the air about the future of the train. Park board staff are expected to report back to the board in 2026 on its options regarding third-party investment and ticket prices after consulting with the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations. Long list of closures The Stanley Park Train ride has taken a winding track to its latest yearlong closure. It was first cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and physical distancing restrictions being implemented. Then, in 2021, a rash of coyote attacks in Stanley Park prompted the train's cancellation in October due to safety concerns, but it ran later in December. In 2022, the attraction was called off after the train failed a safety inspection, with the city saying that mechanical issues were affecting the antique engines and passenger cars, and supply chain issues meant new parts were difficult to procure. Steve Jackson, general manager of the city's park board, said in March that the park board's best option to keep the attraction viable would be to electrify. "Our assets are old; our attempts to repair, modify, have proven to not be successful, and so we'll have to explore these longer-term decisions with our board," he said at the time. The park board says the combustion engines on the locomotives are more than 50 years old. Park board staff estimate it would cost at least $7.7 million to electrify the train and maintain the status quo. Jackson had said that the biggest problem with the set of four locomotives used last year was that the gauge of the track is narrower than modern track gauges. "The manufacturer that produced these engines actually does produce an electric locomotive. It's on a 24-inch gauge," he said in March. "We are running a 20-inch gauge. "So in order to use their assets, we would actually have to wholesale replace the entire asset here, track and engines."
