Main Street–Science World station

Main Street–Science World
SkyTrain station
Main Street–Science World Station, December 2016
Location	1399 Main Street, Vancouver
Coordinates	49°16′23″N 123°06′01″W / 49.273114°N 123.100348°W / 49.273114; -123.100348Coordinates: 49°16′23″N 123°06′01″W / 49.273114°N 123.100348°W / 49.273114; -123.100348
Owned by	BC Transit, TransLink
Platforms	Centre platform
Tracks	2
Connections	Pacific Central
Construction
Structure type	Elevated
Disabled access	Yes
Other information
Station code	MN
Fare zone	1
History
Opened	June 27, 1983
Rebuilt	2013–15
Previous names	Main Street station (1985–1990)
Traffic
Passengers (2017[1])	14,300
Services
Preceding station   TransLink   Following station Stadium–Chinatown toward Waterfront Expo Line Commercial–Broadway toward King George or Production Way–University

Mark II SkyTrain ready to leave Main Street–Science World Station, July 2006

Main Street–Science World (formerly Main Street) is an elevated station on the Expo Line of the SkyTrain system in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The station is accessible from both sides of Main Street at the intersection of Main Street and Terminal Avenue, and is adjacent to Pacific Central station, the city's inter-city railway and bus terminal.

History

Prior to SkyTrain opening for full revenue service, the station served as the western terminus of a short 1 km demonstration track during the summer of 1983. A single two-car prototype train ran both eastbound and westbound on the current westbound track, between the station and what was at that time the end of the completed guideway, at the eastern end of the centre median of Terminal Avenue.

In December 1985, SkyTrain began revenue service with the station opening as "Main Street" and was one of two stations that served the Expo 86 site: the other being Stadium–Chinatown station. This station served as an access point to the East Gate of Expo. This was the first elevated SkyTrain station to have buildings built around and above it, as seen with the Vancity tower on the west side of the station.

Once Expo 86 had ended, many of its buildings had either been torn down or removed. One of the few to remain was the nearby geodesic dome, known during the fair as "Expo Centre" and now one of the city's most recognizable landmarks. A science museum known as Science World subsequently moved into this space and on September 21, 1990, the station's name was hyphenated, adding "Science World" due to its proximity to the popular landmark attraction one block away. Older maps designated the station as "Science World-Main Street".

As part of a plan to upgrade high-traffic stations, refurbishment of the station began on 2013. Construction lasted from early 2013 until early 2016, resulting in a complete reconstruction of the station and improved access, safety, lighting and the installation of fare gates as part of the larger Compass smart-card system.^[2][3][4]

Services

• The Main Street–Science World station is a major connection point for the TransLink Main Street trolley bus routes, as well as for the Via Rail and Amtrak trains that arrive and depart from the nearby Pacific Central station
• The eastern terminus of the defunct Downtown Historic Railway was located near this station; that line's streetcars ran westbound along the south side of False Creek to Granville Island.
• The eastern terminus of both False Creek Ferries and the Aquabus can also be found nearby just south of Science World.
• Three restaurants are located within the station complex: Starbucks, A&W, and Tim Hortons. Prior to the opening of Starbucks in the original station house, the same space was occupied by "The Exchange"—a small newspaper/snack outlet that opened in 1986 as part of a retail programme initially set up with the introduction of SkyTrain.

Station information

References

External links

Media related to Main Street-Science World Station at Wikimedia Commons