Pacific Central Station

Railway station in Vancouver, Canada

Pacific Central

General information
Location| 1150 Station Street
Vancouver, British Columbia
Canada
Coordinates| 49°16′25″N 123°05′53″W﻿ / ﻿49.27361°N 123.09806°W﻿ / 49.27361; -123.09806
Owned by| Via Rail
Platforms| 3 island platforms
Tracks| 7
Bus stands| 24
Bus operators|

* Amtrak Thruway
* BC Ferries Connector
* Ebus
* Flixbus
* Greyhound Lines
* Rider Express Transportation
* YVR Skylynx

Connections|

* Main Street–Science World
* TransLink: 3, 8, 19, 22, 23

Construction
Accessible| Yes
Architect| Pratt and Ross
Architectural style| Beaux-Arts[1]
Other information
Status| Staffed station
Station code|

* Amtrak: VAC
* Via Rail: VCVR

IATA code| XEA
History
Opened| November 2, 1919 (1919-11-02)
Previous names|

* Canadian National Railway Station
* False Creek Station

Passengers
FY 2023| 221,390[2] (Amtrak)
Services
| Preceding station  |  Via Rail | Following station

|
|

Terminus |  | The Canadian |  | Mission Harbour

toward Toronto

Abbotsford

One-way operation

Preceding station  |  Amtrak | Following station
Bellingham

toward Eugene

|  | Amtrak Cascades |  | Terminus

Former services

| Preceding station  | Rocky Mountaineer | Following station

|
|

Terminus |  | First Passage to the West |  | Kamloops

towards Banff

| Journey Through the Clouds |  | Kamloops

towards Jasper

Seattle

Terminus

|  | Coastal Passage |  | Rocky Mountaineer

towards Banff or Jasper

Preceding station  | Canadian National Railway | Following station
Terminus |  | Main Line  |  | New Westminster

toward Montreal

Preceding station  |  Via Rail | Following station
Terminus |  | Super Continental |  | Jasper

toward Toronto

Preceding station  | Great Northern Railway | Following station
New Westminster

toward Seattle

|  | Vancouver, BC – Seattle |  | Terminus

Heritage Railway Station (Canada)

Designated| 1991
Reference no.| 4527

Location

Pacific Central Station

Location in Vancouver

Show map of Greater Vancouver Regional District

Pacific Central Station

Location in British Columbia

Show map of British Columbia

Pacific Central Station

Location in Canada

Show map of Canada

Pacific Central Station is a railway station in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, which acts as the western terminus of Via Rail's cross-country The Canadian service to Toronto and the northern terminus of Amtrak's Cascades service to Seattle and Portland. The station is also Vancouver's main intercity bus terminal. The station is wheelchair accessible and is staffed with full Via services. The station is a candidate for the northern terminus of a possible future high-speed rail line being considered primarily by the US state of Washington.[3]

## History

[edit]

The station in 1918, then known as False Creek Station. Shows the land around the building being filled in. The station's arrivals and departures board in 1981

Pacific Central Station was built in 1917 by the Canadian Northern Railway as the terminus of its line to Edmonton.[4] It was dedicated on November 2, 1919, a day after the first Canadian National trains began using the station.[5][6] It was originally named False Creek Station and was designed by the architecture firm Pratt and Ross.[7] The building was designated a heritage railway station in 1991.[1]

Amtrak service to the terminal was originally offered on the Pacific International from 1972 to 1981, when it ceased due to budget cuts.[8] Cross-border service returned in 1995 with the introduction of the Mount Baker International, which was later folded into the modern-day Cascades brand.[9]

On November 8, 2010, the Canadian government announced a $5.1 million plan to rebuild parts of the station, including refurbishing windows, masonry, and the roof of the building.[10]

## Services

[edit]

### Rail

[edit]

#### Amtrak Cascades

[edit]

Amtrak Cascades provides two daily round trips between Vancouver and Seattle, Washington, with one daily train continuing to Portland, Oregon.

Amtrak passengers bound for the United States go through United States border preclearance inside the station prior to boarding in Vancouver, with a brief 10-minute stop at the Peace Arch Border Crossing for agents to collect forms. Canadian-bound passengers go through Canadian customs at the station upon arrival; northbound trains travelling towards Pacific Central Station do not stop at the border. This is in contrast to Amtrak's international services on the East Coast (Adirondack to Montreal and Maple Leaf to Toronto), where passengers are processed by customs immediately after passing over the border.

To enable customs processing away from the border crossing, Amtrak trains are sequestered inside a secure caged area at Pacific Central Station. Additionally, trains make no stops in Canada other than at Pacific Central Station.[11]

#### Via Rail Canadian

[edit]

Via Rail's Canadian train offers twice-weekly cross-country service to Toronto via Edmonton, Saskatoon, and Winnipeg; weekly service to Edmonton (summer only).[12]

### Bus

[edit]

Pacific Central Station is Vancouver's main intercity bus terminal.

Bus company  | Destinations

|

Amtrak Thruway (operated by Cantrail)[13] | Bellingham, Seattle
BC Ferries Connector[14] | Victoria (via Tsawwassen ferry terminal)
Ebus | Kelowna, Kamloops, Salmon Arm, Prince George
FlixBus[15] | Bellingham, Seattle
Greyhound Lines | Bellingham, Seattle
Rider Express[16] | Kamloops, Revelstoke, Banff, Calgary and Edmonton
YVR Skylynx | Squamish, Whistler

## Public transit

[edit]

Pacific Central Station is immediately adjacent to Main Street–Science World station on the Expo Line of Greater Vancouver's SkyTrain rapid transit system.

## See also

[edit]

* Waterfront station (Vancouver), used by West Coast Express trains
* List of heritage buildings in Vancouver
* List of designated heritage railway stations of Canada

## References

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pacific Central Station.

1. ^ a b "Canadian National Railways / Via Rail Station". Canada's Historic Places. Parks Canada. September 1, 1991. Retrieved April 26, 2017. "1150 Station Street, Vancouver, British Columbia"
2. ^ "Pacific Central Station (VAC)". Great American Stations. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
3. ^ "Surrey could be the location of Metro Vancouver's station for high-speed rail to Seattle". DailyHive. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
4. ^ "HistoricPlaces.ca – HistoricPlaces.ca". www.historicplaces.ca. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
5. ^ "New C. N. Station is Declared Open By Mayor Gale". The Vancouver Sun. November 2, 1919. p. 1. Retrieved January 24, 2020 - via Newspapers.com.
6. ^ "C.N.R. Trains Today Enter and Leave Fine New Depot". The Province. November 1, 1919. p. 12. Retrieved January 24, 2020 - via Newspapers.com.
7. ^ Mackie, John (November 14, 2012). "This day in history: November 2, 1919". The Vancouver Sun. Retrieved May 25, 2019.
8. ^ "Amtrak train ends run". The Province. October 1, 1981. p. A6. Retrieved January 24, 2020 - via Newspapers.com.
9. ^ Daniels, Alan (May 25, 1995). "Seattle-Vancouver train service back on track". The Vancouver Sun. p. A1. Retrieved January 24, 2020 - via Newspapers.com.
10. ^ "Ottawa to fund multi-million reno of Vancouver train station". Archived from the original on December 4, 2010. Retrieved November 9, 2010.
11. ^ Fesler, Stephen (November 22, 2019). "Amtrak Cascades Could Get Customs Preclearance in Canada Shaving At Least 10 Minutes Off Trip". The Urbanist. Retrieved April 19, 2022.
12. ^ "Vancouver, BC – Pacific Central Station (VAC) – Great American Stations". greatamericanstations.com. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
13. ^ "Home". Cantrail - Takes you away. August 8, 2012. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
14. ^ "Schedules". BC Ferries Connector. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
15. ^ Chiappetta, Felicia (May 24, 2022). "New bus service will get you from Vancouver to Seattle for just $18". Vancouver Is Awesome. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
16. ^ "Locations". Rider Express. Retrieved May 25, 2022.

## External links

[edit]

* Pacific Central Station – Via Rail

* Pacific Central Station – Amtrak
* Pacific Central Station – Station history at Great American Stations (Amtrak)

* v
* t
* e

Amtrak stations in Canada

British Columbia|

* Vancouver

Ontario|

* Aldershot
* Grimsby
* Niagara Falls
* Oakville
* St. Catharines
* Toronto

Quebec|

* Montreal
* Saint-Lambert

* v
* t
* e

Stations of the Rocky Mountaineer

First Passage to the West|

* Rocky Mountaineer
* Kamloops
* Lake Louise
* Banff

Journey through the Clouds|

* Rocky Mountaineer
* Kamloops
* Jasper

Rainforest to Gold Rush|

* North Vancouver
* Whistler
* Quesnel
* Jasper

Rockies to the Red Rocks|

* Moab
* Glenwood Springs
* Denver

* v
* t
* e

Landmarks in Greater Vancouver

Buildings|

* BC Place
* Beatty Street Drill Hall
* Bentall Centre (Bentall 5)
* BowMac sign
* Canada Place
* CBC Regional Broadcast Centre Vancouver
* Central Heat Distribution
* Dominion Building
* Former Vancouver Public Library
* Fort Langley National Historic Site
* Gulf of Georgia Cannery
* H. R. MacMillan Space Centre
* Harbour Centre
* Hotel Europe
* Hotel Georgia
* Hotel Vancouver
* International Buddhist Temple
* Living Shangri-La
* Marine Building
* One Wall Centre
* Orpheum
* Pacific Central Station
* Pacific Coliseum
* Park Royal
* Parq Vancouver
* Rogers Arena
* Royal Centre
* Royal Vancouver Yacht Club
* Science World
* Seaforth Armoury
* Shaw Tower
* Sinclair Centre
* Stanley Theatre
* Sun Tower
* Sylvia Hotel
* Vancouver Art Gallery
* Vancouver City Hall
* Vancouver Public Library
* Waterfront Station
* Wooden Roller Coaster
* List of tallest buildings in Vancouver
* Hyatt Regency Vancouver

Metro Vancouver

Bridges|

* Alex Fraser Bridge
* Arthur Laing Bridge
* Burrard Bridge
* Cambie Bridge
* Capilano Suspension Bridge
* Georgia Viaduct
* Golden Ears Bridge
* Granville Street Bridge
* Ironworkers Memorial Second Narrows Crossing
* Knight Street Bridge
* Lions Gate Bridge
* Oak Street Bridge
* Pattullo Bridge
* Pitt River Bridge
* Port Mann Bridge
* Queensborough Bridge
* Skybridge

Locations|

* Chinatown
* Commercial Drive
* Gastown
* Golden Village
* Granville Island
* Kitsilano Beach
* Metrotown
* Punjabi Market
* Robson Square
* Stanley Park / Vancouver Aquarium

Natural|

* Burnaby Mountain
* Burrard Inlet
* Burrard Peninsula
* Cypress Mountain
* English Bay
* False Creek
* Fraser River
* Golden Ears
* Grouse Mountain
* Indian Arm
* The Lions
* Mount Seymour
* Point Grey
* Little Mountain

*[FY]: Fiscal year
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*[e]: Edit this template