British Columbia

Stanley Park Bright Nights Train cancelled for rest of year following health incident

The Stanley Park Train will no longer be running over the holidays due to safety concerns following a medical incident last week.

A locomotive driver became sick from exhaust fumes on Dec. 13

People wander in a park brightly with Christmas lights and decorations.
People take in the sights at Bright Nights in Stanley Park on Dec. 18, 2012. The event is a fundraiser for the B.C. Professional Fire Fighters' Burn Fund. (Jonathan Hayward/The Canadian Press)

The Stanley Park Train will no longer be running over the holidays due to safety concerns following a medical incident last week.

The Vancouver Park Board announced the news via email on Friday.

It said that on Dec. 13, one of the train's drivers needed medical attention after falling ill due to exhaust from one of the train's locomotives.

It said although staff had been working to find a solution to the problem, it is unable to get the train going again this year.

"We are very sorry to be delivering such disappointing news to the thousands of customers who were hoping to ride the Bright Nights Train throughout the holidays," said Steve Jackson, the general manager of the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation. 

The train in Stanley Park returned to operations in the fall of 2023 following a two-year hiatus.

The Bright Lights event is a fundraiser for the B.C. Professional Fire Fighters' Burn Fund and thousands of tickets are sold each year.

Thousands of customers have already been refunded, and Jackson says all ticket holders will automatically be refunded and receive a code to buy discounted tickets to the Festival of Lights at VanDusen Botanical Gardens.

The park board is encouraging people to continue to support the Burn Fund by visiting the Christmas lights display at the train plaza.