Union Pearson Express

The UP Express is now my favourite way to get to and from Pearson. For $ 9 each with Presto you can get to the airport quickly and in comfort, with free WiFi too!
Since the price drop, ridership has increased quite a bit but it’s never crowded. The only difficulty is navigating through Union Station to get to the UP platform. Personally, I enter at the right side of Union Station opposite the Fairmont and walk along the Skywalk towards the platform.
The only way I think the service could be improved is if the trains didn’t stop at empty stations — the journey would be quite a bit faster if it only stopped when there were passengers on each platform.
Remember that the prices are a lot higher without Presto ($ 12 each way) so if you don’t have a Presto card, pick one up and load the card before you travel. There are also special fares for people going to and from the airport same-​day within a set period of time (e.g. to pick someone up or if you have a layover and want to spend some time downtown).

I really do not understand the disrespect that is going on with some of these reviews. How much are you saving versus taking a cab or even ubering or lyfting?
The train is fairly new, it is clean and well maintained. They check for tickets on every trip which is good because this way you know it’s free loader free.
The trip is speedy, you go from the airport out to union station in about 20 minutes. Don’t be disrespectful. You’re not getting mugged, you’re not dealing with a cockroach infested train, so why are you complaining?
I loved the union pearson express. Speedy, inexpensive and clean.

EDITED MAY 23, 2016: If you’re traveling to/​from Terminal 3 (i.e., domestic), it’s likely faster to just TTC it once you factor in the 7 – 10 min walk from Union Station to UP, then up to a 15 min wait for the train, and then up to another 15 min wait for the terminal train shuttle.
EDITED MAR 9, 2016: New reduced prices! With Presto, $ 9 to Union Station and only $ 5 to Bloor/​Dundas West!
BOTTOM LINE: Best used after sitting through a long flight, but I still think the TTC is the better and more economical way so long as you only have carry-​ons and you have time to spare.
This isn’t a review, so much a list of tips:
1. Even months after its opening, the signage at Pearson is so awful you might as well not have any — ask the staff where to find the UP Express!
2. Get a Presto card for $ 6 so you ride one-​way for $ 19 instead of $ 27.50 [As of March 9, 2016, it’ll be $ 9 (w/​Presto) and $ 12 (w/​o Presto)
3. But you can’t actually purchase a Presto card at the airport, so you’re SOL — welcome to the «great» city of Toronto! I’m sure there are other places to purchase a Presto card, but I only know of Union Station.
4. It’s still a 7 – 10 minute walk from Union Station to the UP Express with no obvious elevators for your luggage. So factor this into your time.
5. There’s no timer to let you know when the next train leaves, but I think one leaves only when the second one arrives. Maybe. (Depending on when the train leaves and where your final destination is, you might only be marginally faster than taking the TTC)
6. Instead of gates, look for the differently-​designed Presto readers to tap on (as compared to what’s at GO and TTC stations)!
7. Check out the glass platform doors/​barriers! Sexy!
8. Because of #6, instead of sleeping your way to Toronto, you get to practice your Presto tapping skills with an agent!
9. At least you can listen to the agent announce the 3 stations you arrive at — I’m so tired of hearing pre-​recorded voices. :/​
10. There is lots of space for your luggage!
11. There are lots of plugs to charge your gadgets!
12. There’s free wifi!
13. There’s supposed to be washrooms on board, but I haven’t found them yet.
14. You’ve arrived at Union Station. Now if you used your Presto, you DO NOT NEED TO TAP OFF. You only need to tap off if you get off earlier (otherwise, you WILL get charged for the full distance fee — that’s how Presto works).
15. Diesel diesel diesel… blah blah blah.

There are the obvious facts that this project is a public infrastructure disaster with ridiculously expensive construction costs, outdated diesel trains, high fare prices, low ridership and no use for commuters.
But this review is about the experience on a Saturday night. Our train got stuck at Weston station due to a switching problem. We got kicked off the train at 12:10am and had to wait for an hour and 20 min for taxis to arrive. It took us then another 30 min to get to Union Station (which was closed by that time). It took UPExpress almost 90 min to order taxis and we had to wait in the cold. It was windy and the temperature was 3C. There were only about 25 people on the train. I was not just tired but literally shivering by the end of this trip. It’s simply not ok to let people wait for that long in the cold. UPExpress could have kept the train in the station until the taxis arrive, or opened the station building to keep us warm. I understand that there can always be a technical problem, but this is simply negligence and bad judgment on UPExpress’ side.
I’d encourage everyone to avoid UPExpress and use TTC. It takes 15 minutes longer, but you save at least $ 9. Have a coffee and a bagel for that money and you’ll end up much happier.

Love! How could anyone have anything bad to say about this train? ~$ 10 USD to get from the airport to the city is more than reasonable (especially considering that a taxi would cost 5 to 6 times as much) AND it is clean with comfortable seating, power outlets, and wifi. Plus it runs every 10 to 12 minutes. The ticket kiosk can be a bit finicky but there are real people that you can buy tickets from also. They do check your ticket on the train, so don’t try to be sneaky! For locals, there is a «Presto» program where the fare is even less. The convenience of this train definitely makes Toronto a very accessible city to visit!

The UP-​express stands for Under Performing Express. Kathleen Wynne Premier of Ontario introduces a carbon tax and launches a diesel express to the airport in the same year. «Do as I say not as I do». Any respectful tree hugger should refuse to take this train out of self respect and to protest. We get hit with a carbon tax and a diesel train gets launched. To quote a friend «it only makes sense if you don’t think about it». Unless you live walking distance to the vintage diesel express it isn’t worth taking for time, money or inconvenience. Still running at only 50% capacity and now every time someone rides it, we are paying as each ride is being subsidized by the Ontario tax payer because it is running at a huge loss. Even if they lower it to the same cost as the TTC it won’t make sense to ride it. Kathleen Wynn banned me from her facebook page because I spoke out about this long before they built it. Seems maybe she should learn to listen. Lets vote her back in when the times comes.

Terrific experience with using the UP Express for airport transport.
Train is clean.
It has power outlets.
Free wifi.
Great space for luggage.
Runs smooth.
Nice and easy, not to mention affordable.

My review is based on my experience with UP Express after their price cut.
From Pearson Airport to Bloor Station for $ 5 with my Presto Card?! This is quite a bargain. This is a good option if you want to get on Bloor Subway line without going all the way down to Union Station.
The ride was fast and smooth. Rack for luggage, Electric outlets at seats, Free Wifi. If I am a tourist visiting Toronto, I would be so impressive! A Metropolitan City our size should have an Airport express train.

smooth ride.12 canadian clean easy to find! good experience. I’m so hungry right now gotta get some lunch. it is only 20 minutes to get to the city

I write this as I have sat for the last two and a half hours on the Pearson express a mere 5 min from the airport with the disingenuous assurance that «we should be moving shortly». With every moment, the shrinking window of possibility that we will catch our flight twists me further as we will certainly not be reimbursed the enormous international change fee that awaits. This abysmal, meekly apologetic disaster of a ride will be my last with The UP express.
At least I have a free ride voucher.
Suggested rebrand:
«The Pearson Distress»
«Up Yours Express»

Now that the price has finally been cut, the White Elephant Express is a decent value. They ran with a much higher fare at first, and the trains were empty.
The trains are clean, quick, and efficient, and with the revised fare structure much more worth it. Eventually they want to make better connections to the TTC at Bloor, but for now it’s not a great link — if you’re going uptown you may as well just take the TTC and save your money.
If you’re visiting the city and going to be here a while, a Presto Card is a good investment, I think you can buy them at the airport — you should be able to…

Convenient, clean, fast and affordable. I used my Presto card to pay for it and it is only $ 9.
It is a nice, and fast ride. It was quite easy to find it at Pearson. There are signs everywhere and there is an information table at the arrivals level. You can also purchase tickets in terminal or just before boarding the train. I believe you can even purchase tickets onboard the train (at least the announcer said so).
You can see the train are new, the ride is smooth and the interior is clean. The only reason why I don’t give 5 stars is because the hours of operation. Last time I arrived from Denver, the train was already closed. They should be operating as long as they are planes arriving at the airport.

$ 19 to get to or from the airport with the presto card! Great deal!
Walking from the TTC over to the UP Express train is a pain though. It’s not the distance (it’s relatively short), but it’s soooo confusing. The signs are poor, the arrows point weirdly. Have to go upstairs or downstairs and such at some point. I’d have to say that even after doing this about ten times now, I still walk the wrong way and have to back track. This isn’t a fault of the UP Express, just really poor signage at Union (but what else is new, eh?)
The train itself is pretty quick: ~30 minutes to get to the airport on it (35 to be exact). It’s clean. I hope more people use it. And I hope the price drops even more (but that’s just wishful thinking). Even at this price, it’s still a great deal!

The service I just used for the first time and it’s amazing that gets you to downtown Toronto in 25 minutes.
Trains are brand-​new and are super-​clean. There’s lots of space for your luggage.
With crazy traffic in Toronto and all of the hard things during rush hour you can now easily get to and from the airport and not have to worry about braving the 401.
The cost was a little high 27 $ one way. But for $ 44 you can get a return ticket and that makes it a little easier considering the time and hassle it saves you.
It reminds me of the train at Vancouver’s airport.
With Über transit from the airport, I Amy not rent a car again!

Extremely efficient way of getting to the airport quickly; takes roughly 18 mins from Union. The train runs every 15 mins. During peak hours it’s faster than a car/​cab/​über and much cheaper at $ 19 from Union. Wifi is free onboard and you can also purchase tickets on the train ($ 27.50).

This train is THE WAY to get from Pearson International in Toronto — to Union Station in Downtown Toronto. It smells brand new, is clean, lovely ticketing agents and saving money instead of using a car service app. Just follow the signs after customs/​baggage claim to the left for «trains.» You’ll see the UP Booth near the end of the greeting hallway (past the Starbucks) and they’ll direct you from there.
Hint: it may look like the train will leave without you, but if the green lights are lit on the train doorways, just press one and the doors will open right up! Look for the little green «elevator style» lights! Highly
impressed by this phenomenal and affordable service.

Waste of life. Takes me the same amount of money and time to über back and forth from my house. And with an über:
–I don’t have to lug around my bags and cat
–Transfer from subway to express multiple times
–rely on express schedule
I use services like this all the time when I travel to other cities and was really looking forward to having this concept in Toronto. But it makes no sense to pay that much money for this service unless you literally can walk to Union from your house. Because otherwise, you have to pay the extra $ 3 to use the TTC anyways.

Expensive train you take to and from the airport to your hotel. Here’s what we learned:
–The metro/​subway is cheaper way to get to where you want to go
–This express is comfortable, free WIFI, takes 25 minutes to get to downtown, comfortable seating and ample space
–You can buy a card for $ 6 and roundtrip for you to get to and from your hotel by Union Station for $ 50. The card is extra so there’s a $ 6 charge for it.
–You tap your card before you enter the train and after you get off. If you don’t tap your ticket once you get off, they will charge you to the end of the stop.
–Don’t lose your card because if you have money on it, people can use it.
–Keep your card even after you’re a tourist that’s done with it, because once you get on the train, they’ll still check for your card or ticket.
Overall, it depends on what suits you, if you had a long flight and just want to relax, this train will be it for you. If you don’t have much to carry and don’t mind crowded spaces, take the metro/​subway.

It’s kind of hilarious how I was able to get from my condo in Toronto to my house in Taiwan without ever walking outdoors (except crossing the street once), kudos mainly to Union Pearson Express.
UP express is very efficient, clean and spacious. It beats taking a taxi on all fronts since there is one train every 15 minutes, is ¹⁄₃ of the price of a taxi (around $ 20) and avoids traffic jams. In a matter of 25 minutes, you are delivered to Pearson airport. It took me only forty minutes door-​to-​door to get to Pearson from my place.
Even if you have a lot of luggage it is not a huge problem as there are racks and overhead storage. The layout is like the GO train but with only 2 stops in between Union and the airport.
UP is amazing because it allows you to eliminate the stress of arriving late at the airport. It definitely made the whole travelling experience a lot more enjoyable for me.

I wanted to try what this new train service to the Pearson Airport is all about. I have seen the ads and promotional videos since the construction started and I must say it sparked my curiosity. I think it is high time we here in Toronto have a reliable transit system to take us to and from the airport. The connection with Union Station is a great idea.
I really like the look and feel of the UP Express train, it is comfortable, clean, and efficient. Tickets are easy to buy, the staff is very friendly and helpful. Plus I bet that the view from the train is way nicer during the day time. I have only taken the one way trip to the Airport once and it was at night time so even though the views of the city was nice it was at night. The onboard WiFi is a nice touch, because I know that I can get some work done in my laptop.
Having said all that; I have a car and I am a driver not a public transportation rider, there for, traveling downtown to take the UP Express was a bit of a hassle. I cannot imagine me making this trip with my suitcases. While I found the ride from Union Station and back quite comfortable, I really do not see myself taking the TTC to Union Station and even less likely driving to Union Station to take the UP Express connection.