British Columbia

Stanley Park Train will be off the rails for 2025

The popular Stanley Park Train ride will remain off the rails through the rest of the year, as officials cite the hefty costs of running the attraction and consider third-party proposals for its future.

Park board says it’s lost nearly $3M to the attraction in last 5 years, is considering 3rd-party proposals

A sign reading 'Stanley Park Train' in a tree-filled park.
The Stanley Park Train ride will be off the rails for the entirety of 2025, after park board staff estimated running the attraction would lose them $700,000 this year alone. (Ben Nelms/CBC)

It'll be another year off the rails for the popular Stanley Park Train ride, with park board staff citing safety concerns and the hefty costs of running the attraction. 

The train saw over 90,000 visitors in 2024 before it was derailed indefinitely on Dec. 13, after one of the train's drivers needed medical attention, having fallen ill due to exhaust from one of the train's locomotives.

Now, staff say it won't be running in 2025, either.

In its various iterations — such as the Halloween-themed Ghost Train and the Christmas event Bright Nights in the Park — the train has been a popular draw for families.

Around 23,000 tickets were snapped up within 90 minutes of sale for the Bright Nights event in 2023, the first following a two-year hiatus.

A ride reads 'Come Ride the Train! Stanley Park Railway' in a large park.
The Stanley Park Train was in great demand after it returned from a two-year hiatus in 2023. (Ben Nelms/CBC)

But on Monday, Vancouver Park Board staff revealed the future of the train is in jeopardy as the attraction has lost them hundreds of thousands of dollars per year.

"Taken together, there are a host of risks associated with the Stanley Park Train right now," said John Brodie, the director of business services for the park board.

He said those risks include the safety of operators, the financial burden and the reputational damage to the park board, given the regular closures of the train.

The official said staff estimated the train would lose the park board $700,000 this year, and it had lost nearly $3 million in the last five years.

WATCH | Future of Stanley Park Train uncertain: 

Stanley Park Train will be derailed for the rest of 2025

14 hours ago
Duration 1:13
There are more questions about the future of the Stanley Park Train. As Amelia John reports, park board staff revealed Monday the popular Vancouver attraction will remain out of service for the rest of the year.

Park board staff said they had received a series of third-party proposals, regarding sponsoring or donating to the train, which could change the ride's appeal to be more centred around tourists.

"There's a lot of interest from external partners to reimagine the Stanley Park Train site," Brodie said. "It's in a prime location in one of the premier parks in the world."

Staff said that maintaining the existing model — of the park board operating and maintaining the train — would provide the lowest financial upside of all the business models that they assessed.

However, much remains up in the air about the future of the train.

Park board staff are expected to report back to the board in 2026 on its options regarding third-party investment and ticket prices after consulting with the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations.

Train tracks next to a building, in low lighting.
The Stanley Park Bright Lights train track is pictured on Dec. 20, 2024, days after a train driver fell ill from exhaust fumes. It's been out of service since then. (Ben Nelms/CBC)

Long list of closures

The Stanley Park Train ride has taken a winding track to its latest yearlong closure.

It was first cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and physical distancing restrictions being implemented.

Then, in 2021, a rash of coyote attacks in Stanley Park prompted the train's cancellation in October due to safety concerns, but it ran later in December.

In 2022, the attraction was called off after the train failed a safety inspection, with the city saying that mechanical issues were affecting the antique engines and passenger cars, and supply chain issues meant new parts were difficult to procure.

Steve Jackson, general manager of the city's park board, said in March that the park board's best option to keep the attraction viable would be to electrify.

"Our assets are old; our attempts to repair, modify, have proven to not be successful, and so we'll have to explore these longer-term decisions with our board," he said at the time.

A  man wearing a zip-up jacket that reads 'Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation' stands outside in front of microphones.
Steve Jackson, general manager of the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation, says staff will present an analysis of the Stanley Park Train's future next year. (CBC)

The park board says the combustion engines on the locomotives are more than 50 years old. Park board staff estimate it would cost at least $7.7 million to electrify the train and maintain the status quo.

Jackson had said that the biggest problem with the set of four locomotives used last year was that the gauge of the track is narrower than modern track gauges.

"The manufacturer that produced these engines actually does produce an electric locomotive. It's on a 24-inch gauge," he said in March. "We are running a 20-inch gauge.

"So in order to use their assets, we would actually have to wholesale replace the entire asset here, track and engines."

Jackson said that staff would eventually look to the public to weigh in on the future of the ride.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Akshay Kulkarni

Journalist

Akshay Kulkarni is an award-winning journalist who has worked at CBC British Columbia since 2021. Based in Vancouver, he is most interested in data-driven stories. You can email him at akshay.kulkarni@cbc.ca.