This might be the end for Vancouver’s iconic Stanley Park Train.
For the rest of 2025, the train will officially remain off the tracks as the City of Vancouver ponders its potential future.
A LONG HISTORY
Winding through the forest over ground cleared by Typhoon Freda in 1962, the Stanley Park Railway has had a long life bringing happy memories to children and adults alike. It first opened in 1964, and is a replica of Canadian Pacific 374, Vancouver’s first transcontinental passenger train that arrived in the city in the 1880s.
According to the City of Vancouver, the attraction “welcom[es] over 200,000 visitors annually.”
Unfortunately, the train has been nonoperational since December 13 when a safety incident occurred. A driver became ill and subsequently required medical attention due to one of the train’s locomotive’s exhaust.
A NEW LIFE
Because of this incident, as well as coyotes, the COVID-19 pandemic, and mechanical problems, the Stanley Park Train hasn’t been able to run as often as it used to. The attraction has reportedly lost $2.9 million from 2019 to 2024. It has lost about $700,000 in 2025.
The train is now at the end of its life, said staff in a presentation to the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation on Monday, July 7. Staff wish to explore potential new business models in hopes of revitalizing the attraction. This includes three options: fixing the current train and turning it electric, replacing the train and tracks, or simply creating an entirely new attraction.
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The most expensive of these options would be replacing the train and tracks, adding up to around $8 million with the lowest financial returns.
“Alternative operating models, including some form of partnership or third-party operation could lead to a revitalized, reimagined attraction that would reduce the reliance on tax dollars to return the site to operation,” said staff.
Requests for expressions of interest will begin later this year.
