Pacific Central Station facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Pacific Central
Location	1150 Station Street Vancouver, British Columbia V6A 4C7
Coordinates	49°16′25″N 123°05′53″W / 49.27361°N 123.09806°W / 49.27361; -123.09806
Owned by	Via Rail
Platforms	3 island platforms
Tracks	7
Train operators	3
Bus stands	24
Bus operators	Amtrak Thruway Motorcoach BCFerries Connector BoltBus Ebus Greyhound Lines Rider Express Transportation Vancouver Island Connector YVR Skylynx
Connections	Main Street–Science World
Construction
Disabled access	Yes
Architect	Pratt and Ross
Architectural style	Beaux-Arts style
Other information
Station code	Amtrak code:VAC IATA: XEA Via Rail: VCVR
History
Opened	1919 (Canadian Northern Railway)
Previous names	Canadian National Railway Station
Traffic
Passengers (2011)	149,691 (Amtrak)
Services
Preceding station Via Rail Following station Terminus Canadian Mission Harbour toward Toronto Abbotsford One-way operation Preceding station Amtrak Following station Bellingham toward Eugene–Springfield 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 Rocky Mountaineer 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 Westminister toward Seattle Vancouver, BC – Seattle Terminus
Heritage Railway Station (Canada)
Designated	1991
Reference no.	4527
Location
Pacific Central Station Location in Greater Vancouver Regional District Show map of Greater Vancouver Regional District Pacific Central Station Location in British Columbia Show map of British Columbia Pacific Central Station Location in Canada Show map of 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 to Toronto and the northern terminus of Amtrak’s Cascades to Seattle and Portland. The station also provides intercity bus service as the main Vancouver terminal for Greyhound Lines. The station is wheelchair-accessible and is staffed with full Via services.

The Amtrak Cascades provides two daily round trips from Vancouver. One goes to Seattle, Washington; the other continues on to Portland, Oregon. Rather than stopping for an immigration inspection at the border, as happens with the Adirondack to Montreal and Maple Leaf to Toronto, Amtrak passengers go through Canadian customs at the station upon arrival. Passengers bound for the United States go through United States border preclearance prior to boarding in Vancouver.

The Rocky Mountaineer operated from Pacific Central Station until moving to the nearby Rocky Mountaineer Station in 2005; it used the Pacific Central Station again for the Coastal Passage route from 2013 to 2019.

Services

Rail

• Amtrak
  • Amtrak Cascades: Twice-daily cross-border service to Seattle, with one daily train continuing to Portland
• Via Rail
  • The Canadian: Twice-weekly cross-country service to Toronto via Edmonton, Saskatoon, and Winnipeg; weekly service to Edmonton (summer only)

Bus

• BoltBus
  • Daily coach service to Bellingham and Seattle
• Cantrail Coachlines Inc.
  • Daily Amtrak Thruway Motorcoach service to Bellingham and Seattle
• Ebus (Pacific Western Transportation)
  • Service to Kamloops and Kelowna
• Greyhound Bus Lines
  • Daily coach service to Bellingham and Seattle
• Rider Express Transportation
  • Service to Kamloops, Revelstoke, Banff and Calgary
• Vancouver Island Connector
  • Daily coach service to Vancouver Island
• BCFerries Connector
  • Daily connecting service with BC Ferries to Victoria
• YVR Skylynx
  • Service to Squamish and Whistler

History

The station in 1918, known as False Creek Station, shows the land around the building being filled in.

Pacific Central Station was dedicated on November 2, 1919, a day after the first trains began using the station. It was originally named False Creek Station and was designed by the architecture firm Pratt and Ross. The building was designated a heritage railway station in 1991.

Amtrak service to the terminal was originally offered on the Pacific International from 1972 to 1981, when it ceased due to budget cuts. Cross-border service returned in 1995 with the introduction of the Mount Baker International, which was later folded into the modern-day Cascades brand.

On November 8, 2010, the Canadian government announced a CA$5.1-million plan to rebuild parts of the station, including refurbishing windows, masonry, and the roof of the building.

Public transit

Pacific Central Station is immediately adjacent to Main Street–Science World station on the Expo Line of Greater Vancouver's SkyTrain rapid transit system.