Columbia
SkyTrain station
Platform level at Columbia station
General information
Location435 Columbia Street, New Westminster
Coordinates49°12′17″N 122°54′22″W / 49.20476°N 122.906161°W / 49.20476; -122.906161
Owned byTransLink
PlatformsSide platforms
Tracks2
Construction
Structure typeUnderground
AccessibleYes
Other information
Station codeCO
Fare zone2
History
OpenedFebruary 14, 1989 (1989-02-14)
Previous names4th Street (planning)
Passengers
2022[1]1,146,700
Rank33 of 53
Services
Preceding station TransLink Following station
New Westminster
towards Waterfront
 Expo Line
Surrey branch
 Scott Road
towards King George
Expo Line
Lougheed branch
 Sapperton
towards Production Way–University
4th Street entrance
Clarkson Street entrance

Columbia is an underground station on the Expo Line of Metro Vancouver's SkyTrain rapid transit system. The station is located on Columbia Street in New Westminster, British Columbia, and is a major transfer point between the two branches of the Expo Line, which separate from the main line at the flying junction just east of the station, with one terminating at King George station in Surrey and the other at Production Way–University station in Burnaby.

History

Columbia station was built between 1988 and 1989,[2] and served as the system's temporary terminus (replacing New Westminster station) until it was extended to Scott Road station the following year, following the completion of the SkyBridge. During planning and construction, it was known as "4th Street",[3] but was ultimately named after Columbia Street.

In 2002, the station became a major transfer point between two SkyTrain lines as the Millennium Line was interlined with the portion of the Expo Line that ran between Waterfront station and this station. At the same time, the transfer point for regional buses from Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, and Port Moody was moved north to Braid and Lougheed Town Centre stations. In 2016, the original Millennium Line service than ran between Waterfront and VCC–Clark via Columbia was replaced by an Expo Line branch with service between Waterfront and Production Way–University.[4] In February 2020, TransLink announced preliminary plans to overhaul Columbia station to improve accessibility and passenger flow.[5]

Structure and design

Columbia station was built horizontally on a slope, so that the inbound platform in the north is underground, while the outbound platform in the south is predominantly at grade. The track at both ends of the station dips underground below Clarkson Street.

During construction, the station was not planned to be a major transfer point and was built with side platforms, which prevents cross-platform transfers. There is also only one escalator at the station, which leads up to the inbound platform. A second up escalator to the outbound platform is proposed as part of Expo Line upgrades.[6]

Station information

Station layout

S Street level 4th Street entrance
T Upper concourse Compass vending machines, fare gates (eastbound), cinema, shops
Side platform; doors will open on the right
Platform 1
Inbound		 ← ■ Expo Line towards Waterfront (New Westminster)
Platform 2
Outbound		 ■ Expo Line towards King George (Scott Road) and Production Way–University (Sapperton) →
Side platform; doors will open on the right
M Mall level Columbia Street entrance
Connect to lower street level for platform access
S Street Clarkson Street entrance
Connect inbound and outbound platforms

Entrances

  • 4th Street entrance: located at the east side of the station. Unlike the other two entrances, the entrance from 4th Street is located above the platform level. There is no elevator or escalator at this entrance.
  • Clarkson Street entrance: connects Clarkson Street with the station through a series of stairs. The entrance is located at the north end of the lower street level, at the opposite end from the Columbia Street entrance.
  • Columbia Street entrance Disabled access: connects the west side of the station with Columbia Street, half a level above, through a small shopping mall. An elevator is provided by the mall for station access. However, since this elevator is not a property of TransLink, the reliability of this accessible entrance is not guaranteed and it had been reported that the elevator can be out of service for an extended amount of time.[7] An up escalator is provided between the lower street level and the inbound platform only. Passengers accessing the outbound platform must climb up a full flight of 36 stairs.[7]

Transit connections

The following local bus routes can be found in close proximity to Columbia:[8]

Bay Location Routes
1 Columbia Street
Westbound
2 Columbia Street
Eastbound		 109 Lougheed Station
3 4th Street
Northbound
  • 102 Victoria Hill
  • 105 Uptown

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Columbia station.
  1. ↑ "2022 Transit Service Performance Review – SkyTrain Stations Summaries". tableau.com. TransLink. April 27, 2023. Archived from the original on May 15, 2023. Retrieved May 15, 2023.
  2. ↑ "The Buzzer" (PDF). www.translink.ca. BC Transit. February 24, 1989. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
  3. ↑ "1986 SkyTrain photos from Alan M". Buzzer Blog. 21 December 2010. Retrieved November 21, 2011.
  4. ↑ "Changes Coming to SkyTrain October 22". TransLink. 19 September 2016. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
  5. ↑ Chan, Kenneth (February 25, 2020). "TransLink planning overhaul of SkyTrain's Columbia Station". Daily Hive. Archived from the original on July 3, 2020. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
  6. ↑ "Expo Line Upgrade Strategy" (PDF). Canadian Consulting Engineer. SNC Lavalin. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
  7. 1 2 "Expo Line Station Review" (PDF). TransLink. May 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 15, 2016. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
  8. ↑ "Columbia Station" (PDF). TransLink. September 2018. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
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