Is the Vancouver SkyTrain automated?

Our three automated rapid transit SkyTrain lines take you all around Metro Vancouver: Expo Line connects Downtown Vancouver with the cities of Burnaby, New Westminster, and Surrey. Millennium Line takes you from East Vancouver through to Burnaby and into Port Moody and Coquitlam.



Yes, the Vancouver SkyTrain is a fully automated, driverless rapid transit system. Launched in December 1985 for Expo 86, it holds the distinction of being the oldest and one of the longest fully automated systems in the world. As of 2026, the network spans 79.6 km (49.5 miles) across three lines: the Expo, Millennium, and Canada Lines. The high-fidelity automation allows trains to run with incredible frequency—sometimes every 90 seconds during peak hours—and maintains an "on-time" reliability rate exceeding 95%. Because there is no driver's cab, passengers can sit at the very front or rear of the train for a panoramic, "cockpit-style" view of the city. The system is monitored by a central control center that manages speed, station stops, and door operations remotely, proving that large-scale urban transit can be both exceptionally efficient and completely autonomous.

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One of the most recognizable parts of Vancouver, seen all over the city and metro area, is the SkyTrain. Built-in the mid-80s and unveiled for Expo 86, originally, it was the world's longest automated (that is, driverless) rail transit system for decades, and it's still one of the longest.

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All train movements are controlled from the Operations and Maintenance Centre at Burnaby. The unmanned trains operate under an automatic, computerized train-control SELTRAC system supplied by SEL. This system was originally developed in Germany for both rapid-transit and trunk railway systems.

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Train operators and conductors play distinct and important roles: Operators drive the train, while conductors make announcements, stick their heads out of the cab to give the operator the all clear, open and close the train doors, and interact with passengers directly.

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There are permanent magnets in both the rail and the arm that surrounds the train, causing the arm and the train to repel each other and suspend the train.

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Expo Line connects Downtown Vancouver with the cities of Burnaby, New Westminster, and Surrey. Millennium Line takes you from East Vancouver through to Burnaby and into Port Moody and Coquitlam. Canada Line travels between Downtown Vancouver, the Vancouver International Airport (YVR), and Richmond.

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Why don't we have driverless trains in UK? As I made clear to the Assembly last year, the London Underground system is an extremely complex environment, in particular, the deep tube lines. For reasons of safety, they are not suitable for driverless trains and there are no plans for their introduction.

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TransLink's reasons for rejecting an overnight SkyTrain service. The SkyTrains are automated and driverless. In theory, they are the perfect fit for a 24/7 service transit system. But, some parts of its infrastructure are 40 years old and require daily maintenance, most of which is done at night.

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Safety checks are to be carried out on the Flying Scotsman locomotive after it was involved in a crash at a railway station in the Highlands. Two people were treated in hospital following the low-speed collision with the Royal Scotsman train at Aviemore on Friday.

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Maglev trains require very straight and level tracks to maintain high speeds. This necessitates extensive viaducts and tunneling, making construction costly.

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relying purely on magnetic forces However, this new 'Sky Train' system takes electricity out of the equation, using only magnets composed of rare-earth metals that 'create a constant repelling force [which] can lift a train with 88 passengers and keep it floating even without power,' states South China Morning Post.

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The average train driver salary in London is £58,795, with experienced professionals in the region having salaries that often exceed £69,000, while train driver salaries in Scotland start at £38,194 for newly qualified drivers, rising to £48,360 after the probation period has ended.

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Conductors and engineers sleep at home or at a hotel at their away terminal. The operating crew of a train in the US can only be on duty for 12 hours and then must be relieved.

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