Fifteen years of service and 30 million riders later, Vancouver's West Coast Express commuter rail line had reason to celebrate. Doug Kelsey, TransLink's executive vice-president and president of British Columbia Rapid Transit Company, Ltd., and Maple Ridge-Mission MLA Marc Dalton joined hundreds of daily commuters at the Waterfront Station to commemorate the anniversary.

"Over our 15 years of service, we've doubled ridership, expanded our fleet, served 30 million riders and turned the service into one of the most cost-effective commuter rail services in North America," said Kelsey. "This milestone is a perfect opportunity to say ‘thanks' both to our loyal customers and to our dedicated staff and contractors, whose work has brought West Coast Express a consistently, exceptionally high customer satisfaction rating."

Thanks to government funding, the commuter rail service has steadily expanded over the years, with seven new cars being added to the fleet by the end of the year.

"The West Coast Express provides an invaluable commuter service for residents all along the line. It is especially appreciated by those from cities like Maple Ridge and Mission who have long commutes," said Dalton. "The West Coast Express is popular because it provides comfortable downtime along a scenic route. Commuters arrive at work or at home much more relaxed then if they had driven."

The West Coast Express commuter rail service opened on Nov. 3, 1995, connecting Mission with downtown Vancouver. Average daily ridership has grown from about 5,000 to more than 10,500 per day.