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Ticket holders for the Stanley Park holiday train will no doubt be disappointed to hear that once again operations have been suspended over a worker safety issue on Friday night.
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The Vancouver park board made the announcement Saturday, saying the train would be closed until further notice.
Staff say they will notify and refund all affected customers who had reservations this weekend and into early next week.
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“We are very sorry as we understand the inconvenience and disappointment this represents for everyone who were looking forward to enjoying this beloved holiday tradition with their friends and loved ones,” staff said in a statement.
The incident involved one of the park board’s train operators and has been reported to the city’s occupational health and safety team.
While this is underway, train operations need to be suspended to ensure the safety of staff, the statement said.
Stanley Park was closed Saturday because of high winds, however staff are encouraging people to visit the Bright Nights display when it reopens.
The train has been plagued with problems from frustrating issues with ticket sales to several closures.
The train was meant to run for more than five weeks from Nov. 29 to Jan. 4. But when seats went on sale last month, it took less than a day for them to sell out, even though many users reported lengthy delays and the website had to be paused repeatedly because it was overwhelmed by users.
Bright Nights is a fundraiser for the B.C. Professional Fire Fighters’ Burn Fund. The park board notes that no tickets are needed to take in the light displays and activities in the Stanley Park plaza.
The holiday train follows the Halloween-themed Ghost Train, which was hit with several cancellations in October.
The Stanley Park train returned for the holiday season last year after being out of commission since 2021 due to various issues, including COVID-19, mechanical issues and coyote attacks.
ticrawford@postmedia.com
With files from Joseph Ruttle and Cheryl Chan
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