Alstom is currently supplying 41 Mark V trainsets (205 cars) to SkyTrain operator TransLink. Ordered in 2020 from Bombardier, which Alstom acquired in 2021, they will eventually replace the original Mark I models, which are slated for retirement by the end of 2027. TransLink received the first of these new Mark V sets in December 2023; it will enter service in late 2024, following site qualification and commissioning testing. The other sets under the original order will be gradually added to the fleet and enter service by 2028. These sets are longer than TransLink’s current equipment and able to carry up to 25% more riders, in anticipation of the Broadway Subway and Surrey Langley SkyTrain extensions, TransLink reported last December. They were purchased as part of the SkyTrain Fleet Expansion Program, which is funded under the 10-Year Vision for Metro Vancouver transportation.
All the trainsets are being designed, manufactured, and tested in Canada at Alstom’s facilities in Kingston, Ontario, and in La Pocatière and Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville, Quebec.
The Mark V trainsets feature an open-gangway design, with mostly forward-facing seating and more space for bikes, luggage, and leaning pads, according to Alstom. “The new digital interior information displays will provide riders with improved onboard transit alerts,” the manufacturer said. “Strip indicator lights at the doors will assist people who have hearing loss by flashing when doors close, fault warnings are issued, or when emergency brakes are deployed. The Mark V trains will operate with door chimes and on-train announcements to assist customers who are visually impaired.”
“We’re proud and honored of the continued confidence of TransLink,” says Michael Keroullé, President and CEO Alstom Americas. “This additional order of our made-in-Canada vehicles, specifically designed for Vancouver SkyTrain, will help improve daily commutes in the Vancouver Greater Area.”
