The return of the train at Stanley Park's Bright Nights event this holiday season was exciting for many in Vancouver, leading to tickets for the run selling out (twice) in a matter of hours.
However, despite there being no tickets for rides on the little railway, not every seat has been filled as the trains leave the station. Some people took to social media after visiting the Bright Nights event and spotting the empty seats.
"The 9:40 p.m. train was nearly empty. How come you guys will not sell standby tickets for extra funding?" asked Heidi Ng on Facebook on Dec. 29.
Another person noted they went on Saturday, Dec. 30 after having their tickets for Dec. 27 cancelled and refunded due to a power outage at the park. They went to Bright Nights in person to see if they'd be able to board during the rainy day and were turned away, despite the train having empty seats.
The city says around 92 per cent of tickets are being used this season (taking into account the cancelled Dec. 27 trips). Given that more than 41,400 tickets were sold for the train, which wraps up operations on Saturday, Jan. 6, that means more than 3,000 will likely go unused.
"It is inevitable that some customers with tickets may not attend the event due to a variety of reasons (e.g. sickness, weather, change of plans). Staff do not allow any passengers without a valid ticket to board the train," a city spokesperson told V.I.A.
Further, they aren't able to sell a ticket at the event to fill any unplanned vacant seats.
Like Ng, many on social media have asked for the Vancouver park board to organize a standby system so people can buy tickets to the train on-site for those empty seats. However, that's not in the cards, according to a representative.
"Due to the logistical issues involved with managing a standby lineup, we are not considering this option for future events at this time," stated the city.
