Union to Pearson express train launches in Toronto

The Union to Pearson Express has kicked off its first day of service yesterday, June 6, with an express train that will take downtowners to the city's main airport in just 25 minutes, with trains running every 15 minutes for 19 hours a day.

The new service will allow customers to use their PRESTO card to travel for a discounted fare of $19 one way from Union Station to Toronto Pearson Airport, meaning a savings of up to $30 when compared to a one-way taxi fare. Not only is this the cheapest way to train on the Express train, but this will mean extra convenience for PRESTO customers as they will be able to tap their cards to use the train without having to purchase a separate ticket.

Though it may seem pricey in comparison to many other transit options going in and out of Toronto--a one way Go Transit ticket to Burlington costs just $10.50--it is another option in the city's lack of transport routes to the airport which sits north west of the city. Before, a trip out of Pearson International Airport meant either an expensive taxi ride or a long trek on the TTC from midtown. This downtown route will hopefully help

Besides the convenience of location, the train also aims to offer premium services and comfort--think seats with electrical outlets to charge your cell phone and laptop, as well as overhead compartments for luggage, TV screens with flight information and free wifi.

The UP Express is one of $16 billion worth of transit expansion and improvement projects already underway to modernize transit infrastructure in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area.

In addition, the government committed to investing in priority rapid transit as part of the 2015 Moving Ontario Forward plan. Through this, the Government of Ontario will invest $31.5 billion over 10 years in public transit across the province. Toronto now joins the ranks of other global cities with a direct airport-to-downtown connection, aiming to manage congestion and promote tourism.

The train is expected to carry 2.35 million passengers a year by 2018, and will hopefully serve nearly twice the current annual traffic that comes in and out of the airport and Union Station. This will also likely remove the need for over a million car trips from roads in the GTA in the first year alone.

The $16 billion worth of transit expansion and improvement projects underway in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton areas includes the Union to Pearspm Express, the Eglinton Crosstown LRT, the York VIVA Bus Rapid Transit and Union Station's Revitalization.