SkyTrain's Two Forgotten Future Ghost Stations

[finalcoolman]

I realized I have little tidbits of knowledge on our SkyTrain system, that seem to have been forgotten over time, so I will attempt to try and put them back into the public domain. So I will start with this.

There are two design provisions for future stations on our existing SkyTrain systems. One on the Millenium Line, and one on the Expo Line.

The Millenium Line station which is somewhat well known is called Woodlands was to support a large scale combined residential and health care development in the area. However, as this development was cancelled, so were any plans to construct this station. What is NOT well known is the actual location of the station. Now there has been debate that the station being underground just east of Columbia, in the New Westminister tunnel, there are no visable provisions for any kind of platform in the tunnel. Well thats because that is a miscomprehension. The (ghost) station is actually not underground. In fact it is an at grade station located at the Eastern tunnel portal, just outside the tunnel. At the Front Street special structure, there is a small at grade portion, before the tunnel portal. Those concrete setbacks on both sides of the guideway are the foundations for side configuration platforms. Obviously its not 80 meters worth from the tunnel portal to the end of the at grade section. The remaining length of platform and station will jut over the ridge above Front street. So it will be a 2/3rds at grade and 1/3 elevated station. Or maybe 1/2 and 1/2 with the new longer 100m+ platforms.

The second long forgotten future station (and this one is really a ghost station cause I do not think anyone besides the original planners and engineers knows about) is on the Expo Line. It is located between Joyce and Patterson stations. It is Boundary station. It was provisioned as a future station in part because at the time of Expo Line planning and design, the newly constructed BC Tel headquarters which was completed in the late 70s, was seen as the first in major redevelopment of the Boundary and Kingsway area. However "The Boot" was never followed by other massive buildings, and those old buildings in the area remain to this day. However with our red hot real estate markets, I could see redevelopment happening, and those old buildings finally being torn down to make way for something modern to go along with the somewhat modern Telus HQ. Thousands of employees work at the Telus headquarters alone, a few more buildings like that, and you would have the justification for a station. Will we then see a Boundary Station? I don't know. I don't even think Translink knows about it, since the people that planned and designed it are probably long gone and their plans long forgotten.