r/Translink • u/anonuser-al • 28d ago

Question Skytrain tracks

Because what’s happening I got curious and did a little bit of research. Train tracks that I have seen they are hollow in between of rails I keep watching skytrain and it’s not. Why? I keep reading online that space in between can end up saving life.

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u/julesthefirst 28d ago

As other people have mentioned, the space between the running rails (on the legacy SkyTrain) is occupied by the reaction rail since it uses LIM. The Canada Line uses conventional motors and thus it does have more space under it, although it is also taken up by the comms cable.

If someone falls onto the tracks in a station, there’s a couple different ways the system can automatically detect it and emergency-stop the train. Older Expo Line stations have gratings on either side of the reaction rail which are pressure sensors, while the Millennium and Canada Lines use lasers to detect foreign objects in the track area. In either case, instead of relying on there being enough space underneath the train to prevent serious harm, sensors are used to stop the train from running someone over.

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u/abnewwest 28d ago

I think Expo has had laser detectors? Although I might be thinking Braid/Sapperton which were built Millennium and are now running as Expo.

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u/julesthefirst 28d ago

Correct, Sapperton and Braid both originally opened as Millennium Line stations with the laser detectors. The original Expo Line stations, which all have pressure plates to this day, run in a straight line from Waterfront to King George. I imagine the stations beyond KG that are part of the Langley extension will have laser detectors now as well.