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 busy train and bus station in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It's the starting or ending point for major train trips, like Via Rail's The Canadian train that travels all the way across Canada to Toronto. It's also where Amtrak's Cascades train begins its journey south to Seattle and Portland in the United States. Besides trains, many buses also use this station, including Greyhound Lines. The station is easy to use for everyone, including those in wheelchairs, and has staff to help passengers.

The Amtrak Cascades train travels to the United States twice a day. One train goes to Seattle, and another continues to Portland. Instead of stopping at the border for customs checks, passengers going to the U.S. complete their customs checks at the station in Vancouver before they even get on the train. This makes crossing the border smoother.

The Rocky Mountaineer train used to operate from Pacific Central Station. It moved to a different station nearby in 2005. However, it used Pacific Central Station again for its Coastal Passage route from 2013 to 2019.

Train and Bus Services

Train Services

• Amtrak
  • Amtrak Cascades: This train travels twice a day across the border to Seattle. One of these daily trains continues its journey to Portland.
• Via Rail
  • The Canadian: This train offers cross-country service to Toronto twice a week. It stops in cities like Edmonton, Saskatoon, and Winnipeg along the way. During the summer, there's also a weekly service just to Edmonton.

Bus Services

• BoltBus
  • Offers daily bus trips to Bellingham and Seattle.
• Cantrail Coachlines Inc.
  • Provides daily Amtrak Thruway Motorcoach service to Bellingham and Seattle.
• Ebus (Pacific Western Transportation)
  • Connects Vancouver to cities like Kamloops and Kelowna.
• Greyhound Bus Lines
  • Has daily bus services to Bellingham and Seattle.
• Rider Express Transportation
  • Offers trips to Kamloops, Revelstoke, Banff, and Calgary.
• Vancouver Island Connector
  • Provides daily bus service to Vancouver Island.
• BCFerries Connector
  • Offers daily trips that connect with BC Ferries to reach Victoria.
• YVR Skylynx
  • Connects the station to Squamish and Whistler.

Station History

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

Pacific Central Station officially opened on November 2, 1919. Trains had started using it just one day before. When it first opened, it was called False Creek Station. The building was designed by an architecture company called Pratt and Ross. In 1991, the station was recognized as a special heritage railway station.

Amtrak train service to this station first started in 1972 with a train called the Pacific International. This service stopped in 1981 due to budget cuts. Cross-border train service returned in 1995 with the Mount Baker International, which later became part of the modern Cascades train service.

In 2010, the Canadian government announced a plan to spend millions of dollars to fix parts of the station. This included repairing the windows, brickwork, and the roof of the building.

Getting Around Vancouver

Pacific Central Station is very close to the Main Street–Science World station. This is a stop on the Expo Line of Greater Vancouver's SkyTrain system, which is a fast way to get around the city.