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Pacific Central
General information
Location	1150 Station Street Vancouver, British Columbia Canada
Coordinates	49°16′25″N 123°05′53″W / 49.27361°N 123.09806°W / 49.27361; -123.09806
Owned by	Via Rail
Platforms	3 island platforms
Tracks	7
Bus stands	24
Bus operators	Amtrak Thruway BC Ferries Connector Ebus Flixbus Greyhound Lines Rider Express Transportation YVR Skylynx
Connections	Main Street–Science World TransLink: 3, 8, 19, 22, 23
Construction
Accessible	Yes
Architect	Pratt and Ross
Architectural style	Beaux-Arts
Other information
Status	Staffed station
Station code	Amtrak: VAC Via Rail: VCVR
IATA code	XEA
History
Opened	November 2, 1919 (1919-11-02)
Previous names	Canadian National Railway Station False Creek Station
Passengers
FY 2023	221,390 (Amtrak)
Services
Preceding station Via Rail Following station Terminus The Canadian Mission Harbourtoward Toronto AbbotsfordOne-way operation Preceding station Amtrak Following station Bellinghamtoward Eugene Amtrak Cascades Terminus
Former services Preceding station Rocky Mountaineer Following station Terminus First Passage to the West Kamloopstowards Banff Journey Through the Clouds Kamloopstowards Jasper SeattleTerminus Coastal Passage Rocky Mountaineertowards Banff or Jasper Preceding station Canadian National Railway Following station Terminus Main Line New Westminstertoward Montreal Preceding station Via Rail Following station Terminus Super Continental Jaspertoward Toronto Preceding station Great Northern Railway Following station New Westminstertoward Seattle Vancouver, BC – Seattle Terminus
Heritage Railway Station (Canada)
Designated	1991
Reference no.	4527
Location Pacific Central StationLocation in VancouverShow map of Greater Vancouver Regional DistrictPacific Central StationLocation in British ColumbiaShow map of British ColumbiaPacific Central StationLocation in CanadaShow map of Canada

Pacific Central Station is a railway station in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, which acts as the western terminus of Via Rail's cross-country The Canadian service to Toronto and the northern terminus of Amtrak's Cascades service to Seattle and Portland. The station is also Vancouver's main intercity bus terminal. The station is wheelchair accessible and is staffed with full Via services. The station is a candidate for the northern terminus of a possible future high-speed rail line being considered primarily by the US state of Washington.

History

Pacific Central Station was built in 1917 by the Canadian Northern Railway as the terminus of its line to Edmonton. It was dedicated on November 2, 1919, a day after the first Canadian National trains began using the station. It was originally named False Creek Station and was designed by the architecture firm Pratt and Ross. The building was designated a heritage railway station in 1991.

Amtrak service to the terminal was originally offered on the Pacific International from 1972 to 1981, when it ceased due to budget cuts. Cross-border service returned in 1995 with the introduction of the Mount Baker International, which was later folded into the modern-day Cascades brand.

On November 8, 2010, the Canadian government announced a $5.1 million plan to rebuild parts of the station, including refurbishing windows, masonry, and the roof of the building.

Services

Rail

Amtrak Cascades

Amtrak Cascades provides two daily round trips between Vancouver and Seattle, Washington, with one daily train continuing to Portland, Oregon.

Amtrak passengers bound for the United States go through United States border preclearance inside the station prior to boarding in Vancouver, with a brief 10-minute stop at the Peace Arch Border Crossing for agents to collect forms. Canadian-bound passengers go through Canadian customs at the station upon arrival; northbound trains travelling towards Pacific Central Station do not stop at the border. This is in contrast to Amtrak's international services on the East Coast (Adirondack to Montreal and Maple Leaf to Toronto), where passengers are processed by customs immediately after passing over the border.

To enable customs processing away from the border crossing, Amtrak trains are sequestered inside a secure caged area at Pacific Central Station. Additionally, trains make no stops in Canada other than at Pacific Central Station.

Via Rail Canadian

Via Rail's Canadian train offers twice-weekly cross-country service to Toronto via Edmonton, Saskatoon, and Winnipeg; weekly service to Edmonton (summer only).

Bus

Pacific Central Station is Vancouver's main intercity bus terminal.

Public transit

Pacific Central Station is immediately adjacent to Main Street–Science World station on the Expo Line of Greater Vancouver's SkyTrain rapid transit system.

See also

• Waterfront station (Vancouver), used by West Coast Express trains
• List of heritage buildings in Vancouver
• List of designated heritage railway stations of Canada

References

1. ^ "Canadian National Railways / Via Rail Station". Canada's Historic Places. Parks Canada. September 1, 1991. Retrieved April 26, 2017. 1150 Station Street, Vancouver, British Columbia
2. "Pacific Central Station (VAC)". Great American Stations. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
3. "Surrey could be the location of Metro Vancouver's station for high-speed rail to Seattle". DailyHive. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
4. "HistoricPlaces.ca – HistoricPlaces.ca". www.historicplaces.ca. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
5. "New C. N. Station is Declared Open By Mayor Gale". The Vancouver Sun. November 2, 1919. p. 1. Retrieved January 24, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
6. "C.N.R. Trains Today Enter and Leave Fine New Depot". The Province. November 1, 1919. p. 12. Retrieved January 24, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
7. Mackie, John (November 14, 2012). "This day in history: November 2, 1919". The Vancouver Sun. Retrieved May 25, 2019.
8. "Amtrak train ends run". The Province. October 1, 1981. p. A6. Retrieved January 24, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
9. Daniels, Alan (May 25, 1995). "Seattle-Vancouver train service back on track". The Vancouver Sun. p. A1. Retrieved January 24, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
10. "Ottawa to fund multi-million reno of Vancouver train station". Archived from the original on December 4, 2010. Retrieved November 9, 2010.
11. Fesler, Stephen (November 22, 2019). "Amtrak Cascades Could Get Customs Preclearance in Canada Shaving At Least 10 Minutes Off Trip". The Urbanist. Retrieved April 19, 2022.
12. "Vancouver, BC – Pacific Central Station (VAC) – Great American Stations". greatamericanstations.com. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
13. "Home". Cantrail - Takes you away. August 8, 2012. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
14. "Schedules". BC Ferries Connector. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
15. Chiappetta, Felicia (May 24, 2022). "New bus service will get you from Vancouver to Seattle for just $18". Vancouver Is Awesome. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
16. "Locations". Rider Express. Retrieved May 25, 2022.

External links

• Pacific Central Station – Via Rail

• Pacific Central Station – Amtrak
• Pacific Central Station – Station history at Great American Stations (Amtrak)

v t e Landmarks in Greater Vancouver
Buildings	BC Place Beatty Street Drill Hall Bentall Centre (Bentall 5) BowMac sign Canada Place CBC Regional Broadcast Centre Vancouver Central Heat Distribution Dominion Building Former Vancouver Public Library Fort Langley National Historic Site Gulf of Georgia Cannery H. R. MacMillan Space Centre Harbour Centre Hotel Europe Hotel Georgia Hotel Vancouver International Buddhist Temple Living Shangri-La Marine Building One Wall Centre Orpheum Pacific Central Station Pacific Coliseum Park Royal Parq Vancouver Rogers Arena Royal Centre Royal Vancouver Yacht Club Science World Seaforth Armoury Shaw Tower Sinclair Centre Stanley Theatre Sun Tower Sylvia Hotel Vancouver Art Gallery Vancouver City Hall Vancouver Public Library Waterfront Station Wooden Roller Coaster List of tallest buildings in Vancouver Hyatt Regency Vancouver
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Locations	Chinatown Commercial Drive Gastown Golden Village Granville Island Kitsilano Beach Metrotown Punjabi Market Robson Square Stanley Park / Vancouver Aquarium
Natural	Burnaby Mountain Burrard Inlet Burrard Peninsula Cypress Mountain English Bay False Creek Fraser River Golden Ears Grouse Mountain Indian Arm The Lions Mount Seymour Point Grey Little Mountain

• Via Rail stations in British Columbia
• Buildings and structures in Vancouver
• Heritage buildings in Vancouver
• Transport in Greater Vancouver
• Amtrak stations in Canada
• Neoclassical architecture in Canada
• Designated heritage railway stations in British Columbia
• Bus stations in British Columbia
• Canadian National Railway stations in British Columbia
• Transport infrastructure completed in 1919
• Railway stations in Canada opened in 1919
• 1919 establishments in British Columbia
• Juxtaposed border controls
• Former Great Northern Railway (U.S.) stations