Expanded bus route connects Surrey to Langley

TransLink has added some capacity on busy routes and expanded transit into growing employment areas – including between Surrey and Langley.

Starting Sept. 7, customers will see new or improved service on 21 routes across Metro Vancouver. These changes include the early delivery of two major 2025 Investment Plan commitments: the extension of the R2 RapidBus to Metrotown, and the introduction of the new #556 service to Langley’s Gloucester Industrial Area.

TransLink is expanding access to the Gloucester Industrial Area — one year ahead of schedule — by introducing the first bus route serving this rapidly growing employment centre in Langley Township. This new route is expected to support more than 7,500 jobs over the next decade.

The #556 will connect Langley Centre and Gloucester Industrial Estates via 56 Avenue.

This community shuttle service will operate on weekdays every 30 minutes during peak hours.

Through the 2025 Investment Plan, work also continues to add new or improved service to other key industrial areas in Metro Vancouver, including Annacis Island, Campbell Heights in Surrey, and Tilbury in Delta.

With these changes, approximately 65 per cent of the bus service expansion funded through TransLink’s 2025 Investment Plan (the largest expansion since 2018) will be in service across Metro Vancouver. These investments are helping workers reach major job centres, giving employers access to a wider workforce, connecting students to post-secondary campuses, and supporting communities as they grow.

The R2 Marine–Willingdon RapidBus will be extended from Phibbs Exchange to Metrotown Station three months earlier than planned, and will create a new all-day direct connection across one of the region’s busiest corridors. The upgraded R2 will replace the #222 Willingdon Express, which will end service on September 4. The existing R2 RapidBus has more than 1.9 million boardings per year; the route extension will:

• Reduce wait times with six-to-seven-minute frequencies during peak periods.
• Add 60-foot articulated buses along the corridor, with 50 per cent more room on board.
• Connect students and workers to Capilano University (via Route 245), SFU, and BCIT.

As part of these changes, and to make the best use of TransLink’s available bus fleet, the R3 Lougheed Highway RapidBus will begin operating with standard 40-foot buses. TransLink estimates that seating will still be available on approximately 99 per cent of R3 trips. All-door boarding will no longer be available on the route.

“We’re so excited to provide people with a direct, reliable transit connection to the Gloucester Industrial Area — giving new access to jobs and helping employers attract and retain the talent they need,” says TransLink CEO Kevin Quinn. “By delivering this route a full year ahead of schedule, we’re supporting local workers and businesses faster, while strengthening our regional economy.”

In addition, TransLink is improving access, reliability, and connectivity across the region by increasing year-round service on 19 other routes this fall. Seasonal service also returns to provide more trips on five routes serving post-secondary schools, including UBC, SFU, and Capilano University.

Together, these improvements will create more room on busy routes, strengthen connections to workplaces and campuses, and make it easier for people to participate in the region’s economy and daily life.