TORONTO — An express train between Union Station in downtown Toronto and Pearson International Airport will begin regular service June 6, in time for this summer's PanAm Games, Ontario's premier said Wednesday.
The Union-Pearson Express trains will initially run on diesel, Premier Kathleen Wynne said, but will later be converted to electric.
"We couldn't have gotten the electric train ready...for the Pan/Parapan Am Games," she said Wednesday after taking the inaugural ride on the train.
"This is the highest-quality diesel train in the world," she said. "We're working on the electrification."
The trip will take 25 minutes each way, with trains running every 15 minutes for 19 1/2 hours each day. The ticket for the 25-minute ride will cost $27.50 cash each way or $19 with a Presto transit card, with other discounts offered for students and seniors.
The express train is expected to carry 2.35 million passengers a year by 2018, and the government says it will eliminate about 1.2 million car trips to the airport in its first year alone.
Pearson airport and Union Station are already Canada's two busiest transportation hubs, Wynne said, and by 2031 they are forecast to be serving 190 million travellers per year. The UP Express was designed with the capacity to handle that growth, Wynne said.
"The only way people will take a transit option is if it is more convenient than driving," she said. "This is more convenient than any other option to get from Union Station to the airport or vice versa."
The express train service is part of the government's $130-billion, 10-year infrastructure plan, which Wynne said is a cornerstone of Thursday's provincial budget.
Five things to know about the Union-Pearson Express train
An express train service between downtown Toronto's Union Station and Pearson International Airport is launching June 6. Here are five things to know about the Union-Pearson Express:
Travel time: The trip will take 25 minutes each way, with service every 15 minutes, spanning 19 1/2 hours each day.
Stations: The train will make two stops: one at Bloor Street, just east of Dundas Street West, and another near Weston Road on the GO Transit Kitchener line.
Prices: An adult ticket will cost $27.50, but $19 with a Presto transit fare card. The rides will be cheaper if leaving from or going to either Bloor or Weston stations and there will be discounts for students, seniors, families and children.
Extras: A lounge at Union Station will feature Mill St. Brewery craft beers, coffee from local company Balzac's Coffee Roasters and an outlet of the Drake General Store.
Diesel: The trains run on diesel for now because the Ontario Liberal government wanted the UP Express running in time for this summer's PanAm Games. Premier Kathleen Wynne says the trains will eventually be converted to electric.
