Surrey Central station

Surrey Central SkyTrain Station

Company type	Rapid transit station
Industry	Public transportation
Founded	1994
Headquarters	Surrey, British Columbia , Canada
Area served	Metro Vancouver
Products	SkyTrain Expo Line service, bus interchange

Surrey Central is an elevated SkyTrain station situated on the Expo Line within Metro Vancouver's rapid transit network. Positioned in Surrey's Whalley / City Centre neighborhood, it stands just east of the North Surrey Recreation Centre and is conveniently close to the Central City mall, Surrey City Hall, and SFU Surrey.

History

The station began operations in 1994 as part of the Expo Line extension from Scott Road station into Whalley’s "Surrey City Centre" area, opening simultaneously with two other stations. Prior to this development, the location was home to "Whalley Exchange," a bus loop established in 1975. Originally intended to be named "Whalley Central," the designation "Surrey Central" was chosen following a public naming contest held in December 1992.

Historically, Surrey Central has encountered safety issues, ranking second for violent crime incidents within the SkyTrain system as of 2009. In response, it became involved in TransLink's Urban Transit Village initiative, which aimed to enhance station design and accessibility; however, further construction plans beyond initial designs did not proceed. To improve security, Metro Vancouver Transit Police maintain a strong presence at both the station and adjacent bus loop, supported by volunteer community observers. By the mid-2010s, increased law enforcement efforts and redevelopment shifted safety concerns away from Whalley toward the neighboring Newton area.

Between March 2017 and February 2019, Surrey Central underwent a $24 million renovation that introduced two additional entrances on the north side at Central Avenue and City Parkway, reducing congestion. The upgrade also incorporated three new escalators and an elevator to improve accessibility. The expanded station building was opened for public use in March 2019.

Services

Serving as a key transit interchange, Surrey Central connects numerous bus routes linking Surrey with White Rock, North Delta, and Langley.

Design

The architectural design of Surrey Central station was developed by Musson Cattell Mackey Architects and features elements reminiscent of Victorian-era train sheds. This stylistic choice has drawn criticism for appearing as contrived heritage motifs.

Entrances

• North stationhouse: Situated at the intersection of Central Avenue and City Parkway, this entrance provides access to Surrey City Centre Public Library, City Hall, and Kwantlen Polytechnic University's Civic Plaza campus. It underwent renovations between 2017 and 2019 to improve passenger flow and accessibility.
• Rec Centre entrance (east): Located on City Parkway, this access point serves downtown Surrey and the North Surrey Recreation Centre; nearby stops include R1 King George Blvd.
• Bus Exchange entrance (southwest): Found within the bus exchange area, it offers connections to Central City shopping centre and SFU Surrey Campus via escalators and stairs.

Transit connections

Bus bay allocations are as follows:

Bay number	Location	Route	Notes
1	Bus loop	Unloading only
2	Bus loop	501 Langley Centre	Via Carvolth Exchange
		509 Walnut Grove	PM peak hours only
		N19 Downtown	NightBus service
3	Bus loop	335 Newton Exchange	Via Guildford
4	Bus loop	323 Newton Exchange	Via 128 Street
		393 Newton Exchange	Via South Newton, PM peak only
5	Bus loop	320 Langley Centre	Via Cloverdale
5A	University Drive Northbound	337 Fraser Heights
6	Bus loop	371 Scott Road Station
		373 Guildford Exchange
7	Bus loop	316 Scottsdale Exchange	Via 116 Street
		325 Newton Exchange	Via 140 Street
8	Bus loop	324 Newton Exchange	Via 132 Street
		326 Guildford	Via Fleetwood
9	Bus loop	321 White Rock Centre 321 White Rock South 321 New Westminster Station	Some trips extend as "White Rock South" Limited service to New Westminster Station on Sundays and holidays when SkyTrain is not operating
10	Bus loop	503 Fraser Hwy Express to Langley and Aldergrove
11	City Parkway Southbound	R1 King George Blvd to Newton Exchange	RapidBus service
12	City Parkway Southbound	502 Langley Centre	Via Fraser Hwy
13	City Parkway Northbound	R1 King George Blvd to Guildford	RapidBus service
14	City Parkway Northbound	314 Sunbury (Mon-Sat daytime) 314 Scott and 96 Avenue (evenings, Sundays, holidays)	Sunbury portion: Mon-Sat daytime only Scott and 96 Avenue: evenings, Sundays, holidays
		321 Scott Road Station	Peak hours only
		329 Scottsdale	Mon-Sat only