Throngs of Metro Vancouverites waited in sprawling lines for a fun new offering from the region's transit agency early Wednesday (Dec. 14) morning.
TransLink started selling a limited quantity of Compass Mini-Trains at 9 a.m. at Waterfront SkyTrain Station, after first announcing the new payment product on Tuesday evening.
The transportation agency released 3,000 blue adult Mini-Trains and 2,000 orange concession Mini-Trains for a $6 refundable deposit.
Despite having a limit of four per person, the pint-sized product sold out quickly. Customers lined up before TransLink started offering them, with the lineup wrapping around the front of the Downtown Vancouver transit hub.
I would have loved to get a @TransLink keychain but look at the lineup posted on @Reddit and there is only a few people wearing masks. pic.twitter.com/XfFu71YWBL
— Кутрина Шумук 🇺🇦🇨🇦🏳️🌈 (@ProzacKat) December 14, 2022
Everyone really wants that compass keychain @TransLink hopefully more will be released. This was the lineup at 9:40am wrapped around the lobby of waterfront station. pic.twitter.com/qHaDvL1kbt
— Karlen (@sunshinecally) December 14, 2022
TransLink Mini Train re-sold on Facebook Marketplace in Metro Vancouver
The Mini Train is a miniature model SkyTrain that can attach to a keyring, and works like the Compass Card and Compass Wristband, allowing customers to tap in and out on transit.
But the Compass Mini-Train has a unique feature that sets it apart from other Compass offerings: it lights up when tapped.
People have already started reselling the items on Facebook Marketplace, with some sellers offering the product for over six times the original $6 price.
Limited-release TransLink items are coveted across the Lower Mainland, as well as the company's other transit merchandise, which is available for purchase in its online transit store.
My new @translink Compass “card” in front of my Vancouver bus stop pillow 🚎 pic.twitter.com/V352bXLdWz
— l (@mcguirewood) December 14, 2022
This isn't the first time a limited-edition transit item has elicited a sweeping response from Metro Vancouverites. In 2019, people waited in snaking lines to get the Compass Mini card, which was also re-sold online for significantly higher than the original price.
