Stadium-Chinatown Station
Encyclopedia
Stadium–Chinatown Station (formerly Stadium Station) is part of the SkyTrain
system in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia
, Canada
. It serves both the Expo Line and the Millennium Line
at the eastern entrance of the Dunsmuir Tunnel
, located beneath Downtown Vancouver
. It is one of four stations on the Expo and Millennium
Lines currently serving Downtown Vancouver, and is partially elevated with an entrance both above and below street level.
As its name implies, the station is located near both the Stadium District and Chinatown, specifically International Village. It is accessible from the surface on two levels: from the "Downtown" level at Dunsmuir Street and Beatty Street, or from the "Stadium" level near the corner of Expo Boulevard and Abbott Street. There is also a "Chinatown/International Village" entrance near Keefer Circle.
Stadium Station, built in 1985, was named such due to its proximity to the then-new BC Place Stadium
(built in 1983). Both the station and the stadium were vital pieces of Vancouver's Expo 86
. The "Chinatown" portion of the station's name was added in 2004, after Vancouver City Council
felt it would increase tourism to the area and increase awareness to visitors about Vancouver's ever-expanding Chinatown district, just one block away.
During Expo 86
, the station served as a transfer point between the main site of the World's Fair and the Canadian Pavilion (now Canada Place
), located on Burrard Inlet
at Waterfront Station
. Transferring between these two stations was free to fair attendees during the World's Fair using special shuttle trains which ran from a third platform at Stadium Station (where there was a connection to the monorail serving the main Expo 86
site) to the Canadian Pavilion at Waterfront Station. An automated announcement was aired during people's shuttle ride explaining how SkyTrain and automated driverless technology operated. The third platform and track was shut out of revenue use after Expo 86, although in rare cases of extreme crowds from hockey games and concerts, the third-platform may be used. This third track/platform is now used for training purposes, train storage, special event service, and rerouting during rail replacement.
The station was originally constructed with a passageway under Beatty Street to the west in anticipation of future development. When the Amec Building built across Beatty Street did not link to the underground passage, the passage was closed and is currently occupied by the Lost Property Office. The staircase on the west side of Beatty was filled with sand and topped with a concrete sidewalk, so that the passage could be reopened in the future.
Until 1988, the Expo Boulevard/Abbott Street entrance was originally just an open-stair emergency exit. However, with the closing of the entrance tunnel under Beatty Street as well as poor accessibility to Stadium Station from False Creek, the emergency exit was redesigned and enclosed, opening up in 1989 as the second point of entrance/exit point to and from the station.
Keefer Place Entrance is located at the concourse level shared with Beatty entrance, beside the lost property office. It is the closest entrance serving the Chinatown area.
Expo Boulevard Entrance is located on the east end of the platform, serving Rogers Arena. No elevator and escalator access is available from this entrance; however, wheelchair access to platform can be made using elevator from nearby development via a circuitous routing. There is no access to platform 3.
SkyTrain (Vancouver)
SkyTrain is a light rapid transit system in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. SkyTrain has of track and uses fully automated trains on grade-separated tracks, running mostly on elevated guideways, which helps SkyTrain to hold consistently high on-time reliability...
system in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It serves both the Expo Line and the Millennium Line
Millennium Line
The Millennium Line is the second rapid transit line built in the SkyTrain light metro rapid transit system in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The line is owned and operated by TransLink. Millennium Line uses the colour yellow on route maps, wayfinding and station signage.-History:When...
at the eastern entrance of the Dunsmuir Tunnel
Dunsmuir Tunnel
Dunsmuir Tunnel is a subway tunnel beneath Downtown Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Part of the Expo and Millennium SkyTrain lines, the tunnel is served by two stations: Burrard and Granville...
, located beneath Downtown Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
. It is one of four stations on the Expo and Millennium
Millennium Line
The Millennium Line is the second rapid transit line built in the SkyTrain light metro rapid transit system in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The line is owned and operated by TransLink. Millennium Line uses the colour yellow on route maps, wayfinding and station signage.-History:When...
Lines currently serving Downtown Vancouver, and is partially elevated with an entrance both above and below street level.
As its name implies, the station is located near both the Stadium District and Chinatown, specifically International Village. It is accessible from the surface on two levels: from the "Downtown" level at Dunsmuir Street and Beatty Street, or from the "Stadium" level near the corner of Expo Boulevard and Abbott Street. There is also a "Chinatown/International Village" entrance near Keefer Circle.
History
BC Place Stadium
BC Place is a multi-purpose stadium located at the north side of False Creek, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It serves as the home field for the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League and the Vancouver Whitecaps FC of Major League Soccer . Originally opened on June 19, 1983 as the...
(built in 1983). Both the station and the stadium were vital pieces of Vancouver's Expo 86
Expo 86
The 1986 World Exposition on Transportation and Communication, or simply Expo '86, was a World's Fair held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada from Friday, May 2 until Monday, October 13, 1986...
. The "Chinatown" portion of the station's name was added in 2004, after Vancouver City Council
Vancouver City Council
Vancouver City Council is the governing body of the City of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.The city is governed by the Vancouver Charter, not the Community Charter and the Local Government Act which are used for other municipal governments...
felt it would increase tourism to the area and increase awareness to visitors about Vancouver's ever-expanding Chinatown district, just one block away.
During Expo 86
Expo 86
The 1986 World Exposition on Transportation and Communication, or simply Expo '86, was a World's Fair held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada from Friday, May 2 until Monday, October 13, 1986...
, the station served as a transfer point between the main site of the World's Fair and the Canadian Pavilion (now Canada Place
Canada Place
Canada Place is a building situated on the Burrard Inlet waterfront of Vancouver, British Columbia. It is the home of the Vancouver Convention Centre, the Pan Pacific Hotel, Vancouver's World Trade Centre, and the world's first permanent IMAX 3D theatre . The building's exterior is covered by...
), located on Burrard Inlet
Burrard Inlet
Burrard Inlet is a relatively shallow-sided coastal fjord in southwestern British Columbia, Canada. Formed during the last Ice Age, it separates the City of Vancouver and the rest of the low-lying Burrard Peninsula from the slopes of the North Shore Mountains, home to the communities of West...
at Waterfront Station
Waterfront Station (Vancouver)
Waterfront Station is a major intermodal public transportation facility and the main transit terminus in Downtown Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.-Location:...
. Transferring between these two stations was free to fair attendees during the World's Fair using special shuttle trains which ran from a third platform at Stadium Station (where there was a connection to the monorail serving the main Expo 86
Expo 86
The 1986 World Exposition on Transportation and Communication, or simply Expo '86, was a World's Fair held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada from Friday, May 2 until Monday, October 13, 1986...
site) to the Canadian Pavilion at Waterfront Station. An automated announcement was aired during people's shuttle ride explaining how SkyTrain and automated driverless technology operated. The third platform and track was shut out of revenue use after Expo 86, although in rare cases of extreme crowds from hockey games and concerts, the third-platform may be used. This third track/platform is now used for training purposes, train storage, special event service, and rerouting during rail replacement.
The station was originally constructed with a passageway under Beatty Street to the west in anticipation of future development. When the Amec Building built across Beatty Street did not link to the underground passage, the passage was closed and is currently occupied by the Lost Property Office. The staircase on the west side of Beatty was filled with sand and topped with a concrete sidewalk, so that the passage could be reopened in the future.
Until 1988, the Expo Boulevard/Abbott Street entrance was originally just an open-stair emergency exit. However, with the closing of the entrance tunnel under Beatty Street as well as poor accessibility to Stadium Station from False Creek, the emergency exit was redesigned and enclosed, opening up in 1989 as the second point of entrance/exit point to and from the station.
Location and services
- The most important destinations near the station are the stadiums, Rogers Arena and BC PlaceBC Place StadiumBC Place is a multi-purpose stadium located at the north side of False Creek, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It serves as the home field for the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League and the Vancouver Whitecaps FC of Major League Soccer . Originally opened on June 19, 1983 as the...
because of their Vancouver CanucksVancouver CanucksThe Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
home games, BC LionsBC LionsThe BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team competing in the West Division of Canadian Football League . Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, the Lions play their home games at BC Place Stadium in Downtown Vancouver, having previously played at Empire Stadium in East Vancouver from 1954...
home games, concerts, venues and other events. Following a concert or sporting event at BC Place or Rogers Arena, the passenger volumes are sufficiently large that it is feasible to post TransLink personnel to collect and check fares at this station, in contrast to the proof-of-paymentProof-of-paymentProof-of-payment or POP is an honor-based fare collection approach used on many public transportation systems. Instead of checking each passenger as they enter a fare control zone, proof-of-payment requires that each passenger carry a ticket or pass proving that they have paid the fare. Ticket...
system normally in force on the SkyTrain. In addition, during such events, police traffic units control the flow of traffic allowing people to cross the street en masse. - The Plaza of NationsPlaza of NationsThe Plaza of Nations was an entertainment complex located on the northeast shore of False Creek in Vancouver, British Columbia.It was part of the British Columbia Pavilion during Expo '86, and along with Science World, Canada Place, and the Roundhouse Community Centre is one of the remaining...
dock for False Creek FerriesFalse Creek FerriesFalse Creek Ferries, a division of Granville Island Ferries Ltd, is a privately owned and operated ferry service that operates on False Creek near downtown Vancouver, Canada...
and The AquabusThe AquabusThe Aquabus, also known as, Aquabus Ferries Ltd., is a privately owned and operated ferry service that provides commuter and sightseeing services to locations all along False Creek of central Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada...
is located a few blocks to the south west. - The lost property office of TransLink is in this station.
- Chinatown is located north east of the intersection of Taylor and Keefer. The station entrance closest to Chinatown is marked by traditional Chinese characters in addition to EnglishEnglish languageEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. The sign reads: "Stadium - Chinatown 體育館／華埠（唐人街）". This makes the station the only station on the system to be officially marked in Chinese. - International Village Shopping Centre (mistakenly called "Tinseltown" after the name of the movie theatre on the third floor) and the Chinatown location of T & T SupermarketT & T SupermarketT & T Supermarket is a Canadian supermarket chain which sells primarily Chinese and Asian foods. The supermarket chain is headquartered in Richmond, British Columbia. In 1993, the first T & T was opened in Burnaby's Metropolis shopping centre in Metro Vancouver.With rapid expansion, T & T is now...
are located on the intersection of Abbott and Keefer. - The station is located next to the Downtown Vancouver location of CostcoCostcoCostco Wholesale Corporation is the largest membership warehouse club chain in the United States. it is the third largest retailer in the United States, where it originated, and the ninth largest in the world...
. - The Downtown Vancouver location of VCCVancouver Community CollegeVancouver Community College is a public post-secondary institution in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Founded in 1965, it is the largest and oldest community college in British Columbia, with over 140 certificate and diploma programs...
is 2 blocks away from the station. - The station's mezzanine level contains a Waves Coffee shop and the "Stadium Smoke Shoppe" -- a small convenience store outlet that opened in 1986 as part of a retail programme initially set up with the introduction of SkyTrain.
Station layout
| S | Street Level | Entrance from Beatty Street |
|---|---|---|
| C | Concourse Level | Entrance from Keefer Place Lost property office |
| T | Train Level | Platform 1-3 |
| X | Restricted Area | |
| S | Street Level | Entrance from Expo Boulevard |
Platform assignment
| Platform | Direction | Line | Destination | Opened |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Westbound | ■ Expo | Waterfront Waterfront Station (Vancouver) Waterfront Station is a major intermodal public transportation facility and the main transit terminus in Downtown Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.-Location:... |
1985 |
| ■ Millennium Millennium Line The Millennium Line is the second rapid transit line built in the SkyTrain light metro rapid transit system in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The line is owned and operated by TransLink. Millennium Line uses the colour yellow on route maps, wayfinding and station signage.-History:When... |
||||
| 2 | Eastbound | ■ Expo | King George King George Station King George Station is located on an elevated portion of the Expo Line, a part of Metro Vancouver's SkyTrain rapid transit system. The station itself is in Surrey and is the current eastbound terminus of the Expo Line.-Location:... |
|
| ■ Millennium Millennium Line The Millennium Line is the second rapid transit line built in the SkyTrain light metro rapid transit system in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The line is owned and operated by TransLink. Millennium Line uses the colour yellow on route maps, wayfinding and station signage.-History:When... |
VCC–Clark | |||
| 3 | Unused |
Station entrances and connections
Beatty Street Entrance is a fully accessible entrance at the west end of the platform, serving BC Place and the downtown area. An elevator connects the upper street, concourse, train, and restricted levels. There is no ticket vending machine at street level, so passenger without a valid transfer is require to get off the elevator at concourse to purchase a ticket. TransLink's lost property office can be accessed from this entrance.- Local and suburban buses stops are located at the intersection of Cambie and Dunsmuir Street, one block away from the station.
-
- 17 Oak
- 240 15th Street
- 241 Upper Lonsdale (peak only)
- 242 Upper Lonsdale (limited service)
- 246 Highland
- 247 Upper Capilano (peak only)
- N15 Cambie Night Bus
- N24 Upper Lonsdale Night Bus
Keefer Place Entrance is located at the concourse level shared with Beatty entrance, beside the lost property office. It is the closest entrance serving the Chinatown area.
Expo Boulevard Entrance is located on the east end of the platform, serving Rogers Arena. No elevator and escalator access is available from this entrance; however, wheelchair access to platform can be made using elevator from nearby development via a circuitous routing. There is no access to platform 3.
- Local community shuttles serving the north False Creek area operates on Expo Boulevard and Abbott Street:
-
- C21 Beach
- C23 Main Street Station