Burrard station
| Company type | SkyTrain station |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Founded | 1985 |
| Headquarters | Vancouver , Canada |
| Products | Rapid transit services |
Burrard station is an underground stop on the Expo Line of Metro Vancouver's SkyTrain rapid transit network. Situated in Downtown Vancouver at the junction of Burrard Street with Melville and Dunsmuir Streets, it primarily serves Vancouver's financial district and acts as the western endpoint for the R5 Hastings St rapid bus route to Simon Fraser University. The station is conveniently located within walking distance of the Coal Harbour and West End areas. Access to the station is available from street level through Art Phillips Park or via underground passageways connected to the shopping complexes within the Royal Centre and Bentall Centre high-rise buildings.
History
Burrard station began operations in 1985 and takes its name from nearby Burrard Street, which honors Sir Harry Burrard-Neale. Prior to the introduction of the Canada Line in 2009, it served as the northern terminus for the 98 B-Line and functioned as a central hub for bus routes traveling to southern suburbs such as Delta, Richmond, Surrey, and White Rock. Bus connections to the eastern suburbs within the Tri-Cities ceased in 2016 following the opening of the Evergreen Extension on the Millennium Line.
In May 2018, TransLink unveiled initial proposals to refurbish and enlarge Burrard station. On July 13, 2021, a two-year closure was announced, scheduled to begin in early 2022 to accommodate construction work. Nevertheless, these plans were abandoned on March 25, 2022, due to escalating construction expenses.
Structure and design
The station’s street-level entrance was inspired by Victorian-era British railway architecture, characterized by a peaked glass canopy. The design was created by the Austrian architectural firm Architektengruppe U-Bahn.
Originally, an underground passage linked Burrard station solely to the Bentall Centre skyscraper complex. Subsequently, another connection was established to the Royal Centre; however, a proposed tunnel leading to Park Place was never realized. Although TransLink’s 10-Year Vision included proposals for an additional eastern entrance at Burrard and Dunsmuir, budget overruns redirected efforts towards enhancing the current entrance.
Similar to Granville station, Burrard is constructed within the Dunsmuir Tunnel and features a unique stacked platform configuration: inbound trains heading toward Waterfront run on the upper level, while outbound trains bound for King George and Production Way–University operate below.
Services
Burrard is among four Expo Line SkyTrain stations serving Downtown Vancouver. It provides transfers to numerous TransLink bus routes throughout Metro Vancouver, including those serving Vancouver itself as well as Burnaby, North Vancouver (both city and district), and West Vancouver.
Entrances
- Burrard Street entrance: This primary access point connects directly to Royal Centre and Bentall Centre at concourse level. It includes three escalators linking platform and concourse levels and one escalator ascending to street level. Fare gates are positioned at the inbound platform level.
- Burrard Street elevator access: Located separately from the main entrance near Burrard and Dunsmuir at street level. It features a small station building housing fare gates; elevator entry is accessed through a narrow door followed by a brief corridor at platform level.
Transit connections
Burrard station provides a street-level transit hub located along Burrard, Dunsmuir, and Thurlow Streets. The bus bay designations are as follows:
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