The opening day saw 30,000 passengers flocking onto trains in the first
three hours, although around 6,000 passengers per hour are expected to
use the line in its first few months of operation. TransLink expects
passenger numbers to reach 100,000 per day by 2013.
The line was
originally scheduled to open in November, but the line has been opened
early in preparation for the 2010 Winter Olympics, when passenger
numbers are expected to increase dramatically. "The new line will have
the capacity to move a very large number of people in a reliable travel
time," says Translink spokesman Mr Ken Hardie. "When it has its own
right of way, it's not subject to traffic congestion."
SNC-Lavalin,
Canada, built the Canada Line under a design-build-operate-maintain
(DBOM) contract, and has a 35-year operating concession. The Canadian
federal government contributed $C 450 million to the project, while the
British Columbian provincial government, Vancouver International
Airport Authority, and TransLink each provided $C 300 million.
 
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