Pacific Central
General information
Location1150 Station Street
Vancouver, British Columbia
Canada
Coordinates49°16′25″N 123°05′53″W / 49.27361°N 123.09806°W / 49.27361; -123.09806
Owned byVia Rail
Platforms3 island platforms
Tracks7
Bus stands24
Bus operators
Connections
Construction
AccessibleYes
ArchitectPratt and Ross
Architectural styleBeaux-Arts[1]
Other information
StatusStaffed station
Station code
IATA codeXEA
History
OpenedNovember 2, 1919 (1919-11-02)
Previous names
  • Canadian National Railway Station
  • False Creek Station
Passengers
FY 2024265,626[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 Vancouver
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
Designated1991
Reference no.4527
Map
Location
Pacific Central Station is located in Greater Vancouver Regional District
Pacific Central Station
Pacific Central Station
Location in Vancouver
Pacific Central Station is located in British Columbia
Pacific Central Station
Pacific Central Station
Location in British Columbia
Pacific Central Station is located in Canada
Pacific Central Station
Pacific Central Station
Location in 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, Ontario, and the northern terminus of United States passenger railroad company Amtrak's Cascades service to Seattle, Washington, and Portland, Oregon. The station, which is also Vancouver's main intercity bus terminal, 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. This image shows the land around the building being filled in.

The station was built in 1917 by the Canadian Northern Railway as the terminus of its line to Edmonton.[4] The station was built on reclaimed land that previously was planned for dredging to create a canal between False Creek and Burrard Inlet.[5] It was originally named False Creek Station and was designed by the architecture firm Pratt and Ross.[6] The station was dedicated on November 2, 1919, a day after the first Canadian National Railway (CNR) trains began using the station.[7][8]

A 1924 view of the station, which sported a rooftop Canadian National sign above the central gable

In April 1962, Great Northern Railway closed its neighbouring Vancouver station and relocated its passenger operations to the CNR station.[9][10] The railway (and its successor Burlington Northern Railroad) ran its International passenger service between Seattle and the CNR station until May 1, 1971. Amtrak then resumed the Seattle–Vancouver service as the Pacific International from July 1972 until September 30, 1981, when the service was eliminated due to budget cuts.[11][12]

A 1933 photo, in which the original Canadian National sign was replaced by a larger sign that spanned the width of the building. The Great Northern Railway station is on the left.

In the late 1970s, the Canadian federal government reorganized passenger rail service, founding Via Rail to take control of money-losing passenger operations from CNR and Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR). In June 1979, Via Rail decided to consolidate its Vancouver operations at the CNR station.[13][14] By the end of October 1979, the former CPR Waterfront station was closed, and CPR's legacy passenger services were transferred to the CNR station.[15][16] In the first half of 1980, the Vancouver City Council designated the station and its rooftop neon sign as a heritage structure.[17][18][19]

The station's arrivals and departures board in September 1981

In 1986, when Vancouver staged Expo 86, a world's fair to commemorate its centenary, Via Rail hosted a fair pavilion, spending CA$2.5 million to refurbish the station.[20] The pavilion's 1,100-square-metre (12,000 sq ft) exhibit, which occupied about half of the station, featured 150 years of Canadian passenger rail history.[21] The station also added Café de la Gare, an 800-seat outdoor restaurant in front of the station's main entrance, which offered views of the main fairgrounds site along False Creek.[22][23] Although the station hosted the only free Expo 86 pavilion, its offsite location one block away from the main fairgrounds contributed to its meagre attendance numbers relative to other pavilions.[20] The station's exterior appearance was modified for the event, including the installation of large VIA logos to cover the existing neon signage.[24] This look established Via Rail as separate from CNR at Expo 86, as CNR sponsored the first 3D animation on an IMAX movie screen at the Canada pavilion along Burrard Inlet, and CNR also hosted its own outdoor pavilion on the main fairgrounds site.[25][26][27]

A nighttime view of the station in December 1981 (from the Roger Puta collection). Via Rail had taken over rail passenger service from CNR, but Vancouver had declared CNR's old rooftop sign as a heritage structure, so Via Rail could not replace the sign with its own branding at that time.

In 1988, Via Rail introduced the Rockies by Daylight seasonal tourist services, which had trains leave the station, stop at Kamloops for an overnight hotel stay, and then depart the next day to the ski resort town of Banff or Jasper in the Alberta Rockies. The services were renamed Rocky Mountaineer in 1989. In 1990, federal government cutbacks to the Via Rail budget led to the services being sold to private ownership.[28] The Vancouver-area owners were initially known as Mountain Vistas Railtour Services,[29] which later in 1990 changed its operating firm name to Great Canadian Railtour Company and marketed the services as Rocky Mountaineer Railtours.[30]

In January 1991, Greyhound Canada announced that it wanted to relocate its Vancouver bus terminal in Larwill Park, which included the operations of other bus companies that sublet its space, to the former CNR station.[31] The deal was finalized in September 1991. CNR would sell the train station to Via Rail, which had leased it from CNR since 1978, so that Via Rail could renovate the station. CNR would also lease 3,280 square metres (35,300 sq ft) of land behind the station to Greyhound, which would build a passenger shelter and bus stalls for its own operations and those of the other bus companies using that space. Station remodelling and bus station preparations would cost $8.4 million, of which Greyhound would spend $3.5 million.[32][33][34] $3 million of the renovation cost went to seismic reinforcement.[35] With the addition of the bus terminal, the station gained about 50 bus departures per day compared to a single train departure every other day. Also, the estimated 1.3 million yearly bus passengers would make up over 90% of the station's total passenger traffic.[36]

In connection with the station's upcoming ownership transfer and transformation into an intermodal facility, The Province newspaper held a contest in 1991 to rename the station, and Pacific Central Station was chosen.[37] The station was designated a federal heritage railway station in late 1991 under the Heritage Railway Stations Protection Act.[5][1] The facility renaming became official in 1993, after the building refurbishment was completed.[38] However, because Vancouver had previously named the rooftop sign as a heritage structure, the neon Canadian National signage could not be updated to the new name as part of the building renovation.[36] Via Rail eventually persuaded the city to allow the swapping of the existing signage with the words Pacific Central using the same styling, and in December 1994, the new name appeared on the roof.[39] The old Canadian National signage was relocated to a railway museum in Squamish, British Columbia,[40] where, as of 2025, it is held in storage at the West Coast Railway Heritage Park.[41]

Cross-border service returned in 1995 when Amtrak introduced the Mount Baker International, which was later folded into the modern-day Cascades brand.[42]

Also in 1995, the operating firm headquarters for the Rocky Mountaineer Railtours services relocated from its North Vancouver location to the first floor of the station.[43] However, in 2004 the Vancouver terminus relocated from Pacific Central Station to a temporary station.[44] In 2005, the rebranded Rocky Mountaineer Vacations services moved into Rocky Mountaineer Station, which also eventually would host the corporate headquarters of the operating company.[45]

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.[46]

Rocky Mountaineer returned to Pacific Central Station in the 2010s, introducing the Coastal Passage service between Vancouver and Seattle with preview runs made in August 2013[47][48] and regularly scheduled service that started on May 10, 2014.[49] (Because of United States border regulations, the Canadian stop had to be located at Vancouver's primary train station for cross-border travel instead of at Rocky Mountaineer Station.)[48] Due to low ridership, the Coastal Passage service ended after the 2019 tourist season.[50]

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.[51]

Via Rail Canadian

[edit]

Via Rail's Canadian train offers twice-weekly cross-country service to Toronto via Edmonton, Saskatoon, and Winnipeg.[52]

Bus

[edit]

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

Bus company Destinations
Amtrak Thruway (operated by Cantrail)[53] Seattle
BC Ferries Connector[54] Victoria (via Tsawwassen ferry terminal)
Ebus Kelowna, Kamloops, Salmon Arm, Prince George
FlixBus[55] Bellingham, Seattle
Greyhound Lines Bellingham, Seattle
Rider Express[56] 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]

References

[edit]
  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 May 20, 2025.
  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. ^ a b Bell, Stewart (November 28, 1991). "Heritage station scorned as 'phoney'". Vancouver Sun. p. BB13. ISSN 0832-1299. ProQuest 243388928.
  6. ^ Mackie, John (November 2, 2012). "This day in history: November 2, 1919". Vancouver Sun. p. A2. ISSN 0832-1299. ProQuest 1125835680. Retrieved May 10, 2025.
  7. ^ "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.
  8. ^ "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.
  9. ^ Pharoah, W. (May 1962). "Notes and news" (PDF). CRHA News Report. No. 133. Canadian Railroad Historical Association. p. 73. ISSN 1701-0225. Retrieved February 14, 2025.
  10. ^ Morgan, David P., ed. (October 1962). "The three party plan". News & editorial comment. Trains. Vol. 22, no. 12. pp. 3, 7, 12, 14. hdl:2027/mdp.39015013030518. ISSN 0041-0934. Retrieved June 1, 2025.
  11. ^ Adams, Norris (April 1982). "90 years rail passenger service in the Vancouver-Seattle corridor" (PDF). Canadian Rail. No. 363. Canadian Railroad Historical Association. pp. 102–106, 108–109. ISSN 0008-4875. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
  12. ^ "Amtrak train ends run". The Province. October 1, 1981. p. A6. Retrieved January 24, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Rail Canada". Rail Travel News. Vol. 9, no. 8. July 1979. p. 6. ISSN 0896-4440. ARK ark:/13960/s2khwwd65dn. Retrieved April 1, 2025.
  14. ^ §E: Manager's report: Selection of transcontinental rail station (Recommendation). Vancouver City Council (Report) (published June 13, 1979). June 19, 1979. pp. 438–439. ARK ark:/13960/t1kh3641d. Retrieved April 1, 2025.
  15. ^ Bocking, Mike (October 27, 1979). "Station bids farewell to era of train travel". Vancouver Sun. Vol. 93, no. 99. p. A11. ISSN 0832-1299. Retrieved April 1, 2025.
  16. ^ "By the Numbers: Waterfront Station turns 100". The Province. July 31, 2014. ISSN 0839-3311. Retrieved April 3, 2018.
  17. ^ "1980". The History of Metropolitan Vancouver. September 26, 2020. Retrieved May 3, 2025.
  18. ^ "Communications or petitions: Heritage designation - C.N. Station, 1150 Station Street" (PDF). Council meeting minutes: 1980-02-12. Vancouver City Council (Report). February 12, 1980. p. 235. Retrieved May 3, 2025.
  19. ^ "By-laws: A by-law to amend by-law no. 4837 being the heritage by-law (Canadian National Station and rooftop neon sign)" (PDF). Council meeting minutes: 1980-06-17. Vancouver City Council (Report). June 17, 1980. p. 510. Retrieved May 3, 2025.
  20. ^ a b Daniels, Alan (May 28, 1986). "Via Rail show Expo top secret". British Columbia. Vancouver Sun. Vol. 101, no. 17. p. D6. ISSN 0832-1299.
  21. ^ "Expo '86 exhibit celebrates 150 years of service" (PDF). OHS Bulletin. No. 47. Ontario Historical Society. Winter 1986. p. 5. Retrieved May 13, 2025.
  22. ^ Riley, Frank (July 27, 1986). "Exhibit celebrates Canadian railway history". Los Angeles Times. p. 7. ISSN 0458-3035. ProQuest 292370262. Retrieved May 29, 2025.
  23. ^ "Le pavillon de VIA à Expo 86 ranime 150 ans de rail voyageurs" [VIA's pavilion at Expo 86 rekindles 150 years of passenger rail]. Rendez-vous à Expo 86. La Liberté (in Canadian French). Vol. 73, no. 3. St. Boniface, Winnipeg, Manitoba. Association de la presse francophone hors Québec. April 25 – May 1, 1986. p. 7. ISSN 0845-0455. ARK ark:/13960/s20xrrmj0gc. Retrieved May 29, 2025.
  24. ^ Perry, David. Via Rail station postcard, Expo '86 (postcard). Museum of Vancouver (MOV) Online Collection. Retrieved May 18, 2025.
  25. ^ Hine, Thomas (May 4, 1986). "Glittering expo is reinventing the world's fair". Philadelphia Inquirer. p. A1. ISSN 0885-6613. ProQuest 1829490093.
  26. ^ Godfrey, Stephen (May 31, 1986). "The peaks among Expo's range of attractions". Globe and Mail. p. D7. ISSN 0319-0714. ProQuest 386373658.
  27. ^ Expo 86 official site map (Map). Red zone: #10 (CNR pavilion) and #50 (Canada pavilion). Retrieved May 19, 2025.
  28. ^ Koustrup, Frank (July–August 2016). "Rocky Mountaineer – 25 years and counting" (PDF). Canadian Rail: The Magazine of Canada's Railway History. No. 573. Canadian Railroad Historical Association. pp. 151–175. ISSN 0008-4875. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
  29. ^ Cooney, Roman (March 27, 1990). "Mountain train gets new life". Calgary Herald. p. B1. ISSN 0828-1815. ProQuest 244066283.
  30. ^ Purser, Richard (September 5, 1990). "Mountain train operation grows". Calgary Herald. p. E7. ISSN 0828-1815. ProQuest 244103522.
  31. ^ Fayerman, Pamela (January 10, 1991). "Greyhound wants to relocate". Vancouver Sun. p. A13. ISSN 0832-1299. ProQuest 243519277.
  32. ^ Daniels, Alan (September 18, 1991). "Buses, trains to run from same station". Vancouver Sun. p. D2. ISSN 0832-1299. ProQuest 243430607.
  33. ^ Davis, Chuck (September 22, 1991). "From rails to rubber tires for station off Main Street: The CN-owned Via Rail station in the downtown east side is about to get a new tenant - just the latest in a long line". The Province. p. A34. ISSN 0839-3311. ProQuest 267414016.
  34. ^ Wilson, Mark (September 25, 1991). "Greyhound terminal transfer chalks up big saving". The Province. p. A47. ISSN 0839-3311. ProQuest 267411805.
  35. ^ Wilson, Mark (March 5, 1993). "Rail station wrapped to withstand quakes". The Province. p. A50. ISSN 0839-3311. ProQuest 267467753.
  36. ^ a b Williamson, Robert (April 2, 1993). "Vancouver: Buses put CN station back on the rails". Globe and Mail. p. A7. ISSN 0319-0714. ProQuest 385307513.
  37. ^ Davis, Chuck (December 15, 1991). "A little bit of history can go a long way". The Province. p. A46. ISSN 0839-3311. ProQuest 267419664.
  38. ^ White, Kayce (May 12, 1993). "Column One". Vancouver Sun. p. B1. ISSN 0832-1299. ProQuest 243288195.
  39. ^ Ward, Doug (December 7, 1994). "Station signs are changing to reflect a new reality". Vancouver Sun. p. B5. ISSN 0832-1299. ProQuest 243141778.
  40. ^ "Into history". Hamilton Spectator. Canadian Press. December 8, 1994. p. D16. ISSN 0839-0185. ProQuest 269755656.
  41. ^ Lazarus, Eve (2020). "The railway stations of Station Street". Vancouver exposed: Searching for the city's hidden history. Arsenal Pulp Press. ISBN 9781551528298. OCLC 1145278873.
  42. ^ Daniels, Alan (May 25, 1995). "Seattle-Vancouver train service back on track". Vancouver Sun. p. A1. ISSN 0832-1299. ProQuest 243120445. Retrieved January 24, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  43. ^ "Briefly: Housing ups, downs". The Province. November 28, 1995. p. A39. ISSN 0839-3311. ProQuest 267539465.
  44. ^ "Canada news update: New Vancouver station". TTG, Travel Trade Gazette, U.K. and Ireland. May 14, 2004. p. 63. ISSN 0262-4397. ProQuest 235883519.
  45. ^ Ford, Ashley (April 13, 2005). "On track for 'yesteryear' experience: Vintage rail building home of famous tourist train". The Province. p. A33. ISSN 0839-3311. ProQuest 267607051.
  46. ^ "Ottawa to fund multi-million reno of Vancouver train station". Archived from the original on December 4, 2010. Retrieved November 9, 2010.
  47. ^ Johnston, Bob (July 2013). "'Rocky Mountaineer' to call on Seattle". Trains. Vol. 73, no. 7. p. 23. ISSN 0041-0934. ProQuest 1372123494.
  48. ^ a b Calder, Simon (August 24, 2013). "Rocky ride on the new great western". The Independent. p. 6. ISSN 0951-9467. ProQuest 1427381741. Retrieved June 6, 2025.
  49. ^ "May 10 launch set for Rocky Mountaineer's new service; Coastal Passage route will travel between Seattle and Vancouver". Vancouver Sun. April 19, 2014. p. F4. ISSN 0832-1299. ProQuest 1517861567.
  50. ^ "Rocky Mountaineer axes Seattle-Vancouver route". Latte Luxury News. June 28, 2019. Retrieved June 6, 2025.
  51. ^ 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.
  52. ^ "Vancouver, BC – Pacific Central Station (VAC) – Great American Stations". greatamericanstations.com. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  53. ^ "Home". Cantrail - Takes you away. August 8, 2012. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  54. ^ "Schedules". BC Ferries Connector. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  55. ^ 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.
  56. ^ "Locations". Rider Express. Retrieved May 25, 2022.

Bibliography

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