King George SkyTrain Station closing for 6 weeks

Essential maintenance work is forcing the closure of the King George SkyTrain Station in Surrey for six weeks beginning at the end of April.

TransLink explains the station will close to passengers starting Saturday, April 27.

During the six weeks of repairs, there will be no SkyTrain service to or from King George Station, TransLink says. The Expo Line will temporarily end at Surrey Central Station.

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“Some of the work will includes removing parts of the rail to replace what’s called a turnout, and that’s a mechanical device that helps guide the trains from one track to another. Over time, these components, over the years, need replacement, and this section of the track, actually, has been in use since the station itself first opened 30 years ago. So, it’s in need of some maintenance and some repair and some upgrades,” TransLink spokesperson Thor Diakow explained Monday.

He says the full-station closure is “required to complete these important upgrades as efficiently and safely as possible.”

“In addition to the turnout work, we’re also doing some multiple infrastructure upgrades in and around King George Station while this work’s happening so we can make the most efficient use of the time,” Diakow explained.

“This includes things like cable installations, elevator inspections, doing some asset repairs around the station, and also some deep-station cleaning.”

The station is expected to reopen in mid-June.

“We just don’t have a firm date because sometimes these things, they can get delayed. But we just want to give people enough of an advanced notice. That’s why we’re sending the bulletin out today, even though the work doesn’t start for just over a month,” Diakow told CityNews.

Bus service to, from King George Station

Buses will continue to serve King George Station, TransLink explains, but with some changes; Additional buses will run every 15 minutes between King George and Surrey Central stations from 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. on weekdays, and routes that normally end at King George will stop at the station and then extend northbound to terminate at Surrey Central.

TransLink says buses that include a stop at King George will maintain their regular stops and routes.

Diakow explains the parking lot at the station will be partially closed, and there will be no parking spots available while construction goes on in the area. However, he explains access will not be blocked from Whalley Boulevard for drop-offs and pick-ups.

“We’re working very closely with the City of Surrey and carsharing companies to make sure we can accommodate people during that time. So there will still be access to Whalley Boulevard off that area, the taxis will still be present there,” Diakow said.

Staff will be available to help passengers at King George Station, TransLink says, and signage for bus bay changes will be installed.

“We’ll have staff present to assist travellers if they need help to know where they’re going,” Diakow explained.

“Customers who normally travel on the SkyTrain between King George and Surrey Central stations should build in about 15 minutes of extra travel time.”

With files from Michael Williams

Editor’s Note: This article has been updated to reflect more information provided by TransLink regarding parking lot partial closures.