BC Transit and the Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) are advising transit customers of a service expansion, effective January 4, 2026.
As part of this expansion, Route 1 Nanaimo Rapid Line will run with more frequency. There will be more service on Route 40 VIU Express during peak times.
To improve connections, there will be trip time adjustments made to the following routes:
Trip times on other routes will be changing, please see the latest Rider’s Guide for updated schedules.
Service on handyDART in the Regional District of Nanaimo is increasing with two new buses being added to the fleet, allowing for more service during peak periods. Service hours on Saturday will now be from 8 a.m. until 7 p.m. Sunday service will run from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. Service will now be available on holidays from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.
This service expansion for the Regional District of Nanaimo Transit System has been made possible by an increase in local government and provincial funding. The operating grant provided in the 2025-26 provincial budget will allow BC Transit and its local government partners to continue to provide safe and reliable service and demonstrates that public transit remains a priority in our communities.
With the start of a new school semester, trips marked with ‘s’ in the Rider’s Guide will resume. The routes are as follows:
For full details please visit bctransit.com/nanaimo, use the Transit app or Umo app.
Media Contacts
BC Transit Communications
media@bctransit.com
