For a second consecutive season, the Stanley Park Train will be sitting still at its station.
But if it will run after the spring is the million-dollar question.
In a release issued Monday, March 17, the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation said the train will be "offline for the foreseeable future" as a result of failed emission safety testing.
The board added the train will not hit the tracks in time for the Easter long weekend in April, but that crews are working to find solutions to make the aging locomotive safe for all.
"Our mechanics have a high degree of expertise working on the train’s aged combustion engines and have been working tirelessly with the Park Board’s external third-party train engineer on designing solutions to the exhaust issue," said Lon LaClaire, general manager of engineering services for the City of Vancouver.
"Unfortunately, through this work, it’s become clear that refurbishing the aged engines to meet the regulatory requirements and return them to service does not have a clear solution."
In December, the Bright Night Christmas Train was cancelled when exhaust from one of the engines caused a driver to become ill and require medical attention.
The train, which normally runs for a variety of seasonal events throughout the year, has faced numerous closures over the past few years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, coyote concerns and repairs necessary to operate the train safely.
“Our staff have been working tirelessly to get the train back on track for Easter and we recognize how disappointing this news is for so many people and their families,” said Parks Board general manager Steve Jackson.
He noted the latest closure is forcing staff to begin a comprehensive analysis of the train's operational and financial viability, which will be presented to the Parks board tentatively in June 2025.
With files from Brendan Kergin and Lindsay William-Ross
