SkyTrain
From ScanBC
Contents |
System Overview
Presently the Greater Vancouver area consists of a population of almost 2 million people spread over 20 municipalities. This is the third largest metropolitan community in Canada. SkyTrain is one of the key components of the public transit system that services some of the various communities. SkyTrain is a driverless linear induction powered rapid transit system. SkyTrain runs on a nominal 600 Volts DC and incorporates a "moving-block" automatic train control system developed by French - based Alcatel. At present the system consists of:
- 49 km On the two lines (Expo & Millennium Lines)
- 33 Stations between Expo & Millennium Line
- 210 Vehicle Fleet (150 MK1 & 60 MK2 trains)
- 39 min one-way travel time (Water Front > King George)
- 27 min one -way travel time (Columbia > VCC Clark)
- 23 mainline & 1 Yard power substations
- 44 escalators / 26 elevators Expo line
- 25 escalators / 22 elevators Millennium line
- 1 600m Skybridge
- 1x 1.6km Tunnel (Dunsmir)
- 1x 0.3km Tunnel (New Westminster)
- 1x 0.6km Tunnel (Columbia)
The system at present was built in 5 major phases. Phase one was the initial phase and consisted of track running from Waterfront station to New Westminster Station. Phase 2 was the addition of Columbia station with the 616m Skybridge connecting to Scott Rd. station. Phase three pushed the remained of the Expo line to King George and connected the busy suburbs with Downtown. Phase 4 was the first part of the Millennium line to go, the track ran to Braid Station via Columbia. The final phase of the Millennium line was the remainder of the M-line Lougheed through to Commercial Dr. station .
A Track diagram outlining track sections, entry points and platform locations is available here . Credits to DennisTT.
Vehicle Summary
SkyTrain currently runs with a fleet of 210 vehicle consisting of 150 Mark 1 trains and 60 Mark 2 vehicles.
- Mark 1
- Car length 12.7m
- Car width 2.4m
- Car height 3.13m
- Seats 35-36
- Capacity 80 per car
- Vehicle weight 15000 kg
- Mark 2
- Car length 16.7m
- Car width 2.4m
- Car height 3.275m
- Seats 44
- Capacity 130 per car
- Vehicle Weight 22,300 kg
Both versions can reach top speeds of 90 km/h with average guideway speeds of approximately 45 km/h. Trains can run in automatic with headways as little as 75 seconds between trains. During the years 1998-2002 the original 114 Mark 1 cars logged an average of 2,500,000 km per car.
Frequencies
| Frequency | Channel | Tone |
|---|---|---|
| 410.2875 | CHANNEL 1 - Expo Line repeater | |
| 410.0625 | CHANNEL 2 - Millennium Line repeater | 82.5 Hz |
| 410.4875 | CHANNEL 3 - Maintenance and back-up repeater | 67.0 Hz |
| 408.5125 | CHANNEL 5 - Yard control simplex frequency |
Terms & Definitions
These codes are used by transit personnel to report various types of emergencies. They are used by combining a status code with the type of emergency. For example, a report of a possible unauthorized entry into the guideway (usually set off by an emergency system automatically) would be reported as YELLOW TANGO.
Type of emergency
- ALPHA
- Police
- BRAVO
- Suspicious package or bomb threat
- CHARLIE
- Collision
- DELTA
- Derailment
- ECHO
- Ambulance
- FOXTROT
- Fire
- INDIA
- Human contact with train
- TANGO
- Unauthorized entry into guideway
- WHISKEY
- Weapon
- WHISKEY GOLF
- Weapon, gun
- WHISKEY KILO
- Weapon, knife
Status codes
- RED
- Confirmed
- YELLOW
- Unconfirmed
- GREEN
- Clear of emergency
Communication access control
- CONTROL NET
- Only staff directly involved in emergency can communicate on radios
Train Fault Codes
| Code | Description |
|---|---|
| FC1 | Motion obstructed/brake |
| FC2 | All fire and smoke detector problems |
| FC3 | 37 v dc. problems |
| FC4 | VOBC halted |
| FC5 | Brake or BAMS problems |
| FC6 | Propulsion problems |
| FC7 | VOBC halted |
| FC8 | Train overspeed |
| FC9 | Target point overshoot |
| FC10 | Rollback |
| FC11 | VOBC fault |
| FC12 | Couple rejected |
| FC13 | Doors fail to open |
| FC14 | failure to get door status in station |
| FC15 | Loss of door status, outside of station |
Equipment, Guideway & Train References
| Code | Description |
|---|---|
| AARU | Automatic Assured Receptivity Unit |
| APS | Aux. Power Supply |
| ART | Advanced Rapid Transit |
| BAM | Brake Assurance Monitor |
| BCEU | Brake Control Electronic Unit |
| BCRTC | British Columbia Rapid Transit Company. |
| BLS | Blue Lighting System |
| BO | Bad Order |
| BOGIE | A wheeled undercarriage pivoted below the end of a rail vehicle. Sometimes referred to as the truck. |
| BOT | Bad Order Track |
| CB | Coffee Break |
| CESS | Central Emergency Stop System |
| CIS | Control Insulator Section |
| COMSET | communications set |
| COS | Control Supervisor |
| CREW TRAIN | The train that is run behind the last revenue train to pick up various employees so that they can get home at night. |
| CS | Coupler status |
| DCA | Designated coupling/uncoupling area |
| DCCB | Direct current circuit breaker |
| DC | Dual Control (track switch) |
| EAT | Emergency Access Track |
| EB | Emergency Brakes |
| ECB | Electronic Control Bin |
| EEC | Emergency equipment cabinet |
| EER | Emergency equipment room |
| EER ROOM | Electrical Equipment Room |
| EMO | Emergency Manual Operation |
| EMTB | Emergency Magnetic Track Brakes |
| FC | Fault category |
| FCP | Fire Fighters Command Post |
| FID | Feed-in device |
| FOCS | Fibre Optics Communication System |
| FP | Fouling point - A fouling point is the last possible section on a track that you can be on before having a risk of being hit by another train traversing the switch. |
| GIDS | Guideway Intrusion Detection System |
| GIES | Guideway Intrusion Emergency System |
| GIMS | Guideway Intrusion Monitoring System |
| GREEN PLUG | Procedure conducted by field staff to correct a disturbed or faulty switch |
| GVTA | Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority; The legal name of TransLink, given legal power to oversee the region's transportation network encompassing roads, highways, buses, rapid transit, and basically anything else that helps you get around |
| HMP | Health Monitor Panel |
| HMU | Health Monitor Unit |
| HOLD | The controlled stopping of a train before it enters a station, or the delaying of a train at a station |
| HOT LUNCH | Vomit, Puke |
| HPM | Health Performance Monitor |
| HPU | Hydrolic Power Unit |
| HVAC | Heating Ventilation & Air Conditioning |
| IANS | Integrated Alarm Notification System |
| I/B | Inbound track towards Waterfront |
| ICTS | Intermediate Capacity Transportation System (that's you SkyTrain) |
| LIM | Linear Inductor Motor |
| MAINLINE | SkyTrain control center |
| Mark II | The second generation of SkyTrain vehicle |
| Mark I | The first generation of SkyTrain vehicle |
| MBTC | Moving Block Train Control - developed by Alcatel it allows for continuous real-time control and tracking of trains. |
| MHA | Mental Health Act |
| MOW | Maintenance-Of-Way (track) |
| O/B | Outbound track away from waterfront |
| OMC | Operations and Maintenance Center. Operates SkyTrain, a subsidiary of TransLink. |
| OP | Occupancy permit |
| PAA | Passenger Assistance Alarm |
| PCU | Power Conversion Unit |
| PIES | Platform Intrusion Emergency System |
| PIP | Passenger Intercom Panel |
| PLEDS | Platform (light emitting diode) sign |
| PPCS | Propulsion Power Cut off switch |
| PTE | Permission to enter |
| RAV | Richmond/Airport/Vancouver. The pseudo-name for a proposed north-south rapid transit line that would go from downtown to Richmond via Cambie with a spur to YVR. See http://www.ravprapidtransit.com/ |
| RCH | Royal Columbian Hospital |
| RE-ENTRY | If a train has 'timed out' (is lost by the ATC system), then someone must drive the train over the re-entry point at a steady velocity for the system to pick it up again. |
| RE-ENTRY POINT | If a train has 'timed out' (is lost by the ATC system), then someone must drive the train over the re-entry point at a steady velocity for the system to pick it up again. |
| SCADA | Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (used to control power on SkyTrain) |
| SCS | Switch control system |
| SCU | Switch Control Unit |
| SESP | Station Emergency Stop Processor |
| SESS | Station Emergency Stop System |
| SLEEPER | someone sleeping on the train |
| SMC | System Management Center |
| STA | SkyTrain Attendant |
| T&C | Testing & Commissioning |
| TIDES | An early version of the GIES in use exclusively at Stadium outbound. It makes use of a laser to detect an unauthorized entry into the track. |
| TIME OUT | Train loses communication with VCC |
| TLTS | TransLink Transit Security |
| TOOLBOX | Safety meeting for staff |
| TP | Transit Police |
| TRACK SECTION | A unique, numbered section of track that is approximately 5 meters in length. Track sections are how the ATC system keeps track of where each train is. Don't read the numbers upside down! |
| TRAIN LINE RESET | Resetting all VOBCs |
| TRIMS | Train Radio Information System |
| TVM | Ticket Vending Machine |
| TVS | Tunnel Ventilation System |
| TZ | Transition Zone (track) |
| UA | Unattended |
| UTDC | Urban Transportation Development Corporation |
| VCIF | Vehicle Cleaning & Inspection Facility |
| VIP | Visually Impaired Person / Special Needs Person |
| VOBC | Vehicle On Board Computer |
| VPD | Vancouver Police Department |
| VRS | Vehicle Radio System |
| VVAU | Vehicle Voice Announcement Unit (Big Mouth) |
| WT | Wash track |
| YRA | Yard run around |
| ZULU | Bathroom break |
Train Status Lights
Each train has three lights on the front end, side, of the train. Each light performing a different action means a different code to the STAs and other Translink Employees.
| Light Status | Station |
|---|---|
| No Lights | All is OK on board train. |
| Flashing Amber Light | Passenger Activated Alarm |
| Flashing Blue Light | No power to the train |
| Solid Red Light | Emergency Brakes Activated |
Station IDs
Expo Line
| ID | Station | Address |
|---|---|---|
| WF | Waterfront | 601 West Cordova St |
| BU | Burrard | 635 Burrard St |
| GV | Granville | 655 Seymour St |
| ST | Stadium-Chinatown | 590 Beatty St |
| MN | Main Street-Science World | 1395 Main St |
| BW | Broadway | 1725 East Broadway |
| NA | Naniamo | 2450 East 24th Ave |
| TN | 29th Avenue | 2790 East 29th Ave |
| JY | Joyce-Collingwood | 5099 Joyce St |
| PT | Patterson | 6128 Patterson Ave |
| MT | Metrotown | 4401 Beresford St |
| RO | Royal Oak | 5200 Beresford St |
| ED | Edmonds | 6944 18th Ave |
| TS | 22nd Street | 649 22nd St |
| NW | New Westminster | 46 8th St |
| CO | Columbia | 32 4th St |
| SR | Scott Road | 12515 110th Ave |
| GW | Gateway | 10858 University Dr |
| SC | Surrey Central | 10307 135th St |
| KG | King George | 9875 King George Blvd |
Millennium Line
| ID | Station | Address |
|---|---|---|
| VC | VCC-Clark | Keith Dr at East 6th Ave |
| CM | Commercial Drive | 1725 East Broadway |
| RE | Renfrew | 2898 East 12th Ave |
| RU | Rupert | 2698 Rupert St |
| GM | Gilmore | 2199 Gilmore Ave |
| BR | Brentwood Town Centre | 4533 Lougheed Hwy |
| HO | Holdom | 2111 Holdom Ave |
| SP | Sperling-Burnaby Lake | 2800 Sperling Ave |
| LC | Lake City Way | Lake City Way at Lougheed Hwy |
| PW | Production Way-University | 8491 Lougheed Hwy |
| LH | Lougheed Town Centre | 9755 Lougheed Hwy |
| BD | Braid | 81 Braid St |
| SA | Sapperton | 200 Spruce St |
