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TransLink is putting into service the first of 114 refurbished Skytrain cars which would have otherwise been retired from service.

TransLink is extending the life of the Mark I cars which have been in service since Expo 1986. The normal life span of the cars is 25 years, but the refurbishment will add 15 more years to their lifespan.

The cost for the refurbishment is $37.9 million, with $28.5 million coming from the federal gas tax fund.

Work includes upgrading the electrical system, expanding the interior passenger capacity, refurbishing passenger doors, replacing interior amenities, and repainting the vehicles exterior.

The provincial government is applauding Translink’s decision to save money.

“I’m encouraged by TransLink’s decision to refurbish these vehicles and save money,” says Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Todd Stone. “TransLink serves an area about twice the size of Toronto and provides over one million trips a day. Senior government funding, like the Gas Tax Fund, helps TransLink provide a world-class transportation system for communities and families.”

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All of the refurbished Mark I cars will be in service by December 2016.