Toronto Union Pearson Express | ?m | ?s | Metrolinx | MMM Group Limited

nfitz said:
GO has posted schedules for the Monday May 4 changes to GO Service on the Georgetown, Milton, Barrie, and Lakeshore East lines. http://www.gotransit.com/public/en/updates/schedulechanges.aspx
Click to expand...

Good news at first, looking at the Kitchener line:
- Kitchener to Union travel time shortened by 3 minutes from 2h06 to 2h03 (still short of the 2h01 prior to construction)
- Bramalea to Union express train travel time shortened by 5 minutes from 31 minutes to 26 minutes
- Most other trips shortened by 1 minute
- Strangely, the last trip of the morning is actually 1 minute longer, now 41 minutes rather than 40 from Bramalea to Union. That's a whopping 15 minutes slower than the aforementioned express, even though there are only four stops difference. Typically I'd expect skipping 4 stops to save on the order of 8 to 10 minutes.

But then nothing but bad news.

Westbound Kitchener line trips are 2 minutes slower, increasing from 2h05 to 2h07 from Union to Kitchener.

The description on the GO website says
Some trips on the Kitchener line will now take less time as regular train speeds can resume with construction in the corridor nearing completion.
Click to expand...
They don't explain why most trips are now actually slower than before.
 
Last edited:
nfitz said:
GO has posted schedules for the Monday May 4 changes to GO Service on the Georgetown, Milton, Barrie, and Lakeshore East lines. http://www.gotransit.com/public/en/updates/schedulechanges.aspx

Most of the changes are to "to coordinate schedules with the new UP Express service".

So no UPX launch before Saturday May 2nd then.
Click to expand...

She may just have been in a fun mood but I had tweeted to Anne Marie Aikins that if they launched UPe on May 4th that I "would win the pool" (there is no actual pool I was just exaggerating the little discussion we had in the GTS/UP thread about launch dates)...she tweeted back "guess it would be inappropriate if I got in on that action" with a little winky thing
 
I'll definitely use it if I'm departing to the airport from my downtown job.

Debate rages on whether the money is better spent elsewhere (I agree) but now that it's built, it's going to be a permanent (premium) fixture of Toronto's transit, and the Presto price is feasible for what it does provide. If I am in a hurry, I'll even prefer to taxi to the UPX stop if I'm anywhere south of Bloor sufficiently near, but too far from a subway stop. Still faster than stressful traffic delays in the Taxi rushing to the airport at the last minute, especially with a taxi stuck far away from overflowing rush-hour freeways.

Now we need to see ECLRT built, and interline with UPX/GO RER.
 
Last edited:
ehlow said:
I think I'll probably use it, even though I'm in midtown. 20 min subway ride Eglinton to Union, then UPX isn't bad. Cab costs double, and I won't have to ask others for a ride or think about traffic.

It's actually not that much more time then getting to Porter.
Click to expand...

The 52 Lawrence Bus to Pearson takes an hour so you are paying 900% more to shave off 15 minutes
 
robmausser said:
The 52 Lawrence Bus to Pearson takes an hour so you are paying 900% more to shave off 15 minutes
Click to expand...

since he noted a 20- minute ride from Eglinton...he is not at Lawrence so you have to factor in some sort of travel time from Eglinton to Lawrence...no? And since his subway to UPe to Airport ride is all on rails he is not subject to much (any?) variance in travel time. The big issue with road based trips to the airport is that air travel does not tolerate lateness....so road based trips need to be "padded" to allow for the potential of delays on route.

EDIT....I am also having trouble replicating your 900% more figure.
 
Last edited:
robmausser said:
The 52 Lawrence Bus to Pearson takes an hour so you are paying 900% more to shave off 15 minutes
Click to expand...
Probably true if he lives near Lawrence and it's offpeak.
But if it's peak period, running tight, UPX gives you the peace of mind especially if you're near a subway station. Being stressed in a taxi with unpredictable rush hour delays, versus being calm on a couple of trains.

I've taken the 192 Airport Rocket when not in a hurry.

But if I just want to enjoy the vacation or business trip before I go to the airport, or if I am in a hurry, UPX does give peace of mind. Even if taxi was reduced to cost the same, the train is more enjoyable. If you're near Union at 5:30pm and only have 1.5 hours before your 7pm plane departs, you can manage to arrive on time to get bags checked and board the plane via UPX. As soon as you board the UPX, you're already calm. Read the newspaper and enjoy surfing on your mobiles on UPXs' WiFi, or if you haven't checked in, then check-in electronically on the train (Customs now can scan a barcode off your phone... no paper needed), while keeping an eye on the airline departure videoboards on the UPX train (it has them too). No cramped taxi smells from unscenic road rage traffic and luck-of-draw taxi drivers (some are good, but...). And the UPX trains will be immaculately clean too. That's part of the attraction of UPX.

It might have been an economically silly decision to build UPX instead of other pressing things (Hurontario! Hamilton LRT! Faster ECLRT build! Etc) but it's going to cover most (or all) of its farebox within 5 years, the service will be there to stay. Might as well enjoy using it, in situations where it's really truly the preferable option to get to the airport.
 
Last edited:
Now that they've jacked up parking rates at Pearson yet again I'll most likely drive to Weston(coming from the 905) pay for parking somewhere around there and then take the UP to the airport, at least for short trips. Prices used to be prorated for the daily park, now if you go even 5 minutes into the next day you pay for the entire day. I was out of town for a short 49hrs a few weeks back and instead of paying 60-odd dollars, which is a lot to begin with, ended up costing $90 :mad:
 
The 192 Airport Rocket is one of the best transportation deals in Toronto. It's fast, frequent, and cheap.

It's only good if you are close to the subway, of course. I'm fortunate to be a reasonable walk to the subway. Unless I am dog tired I will use it rather than cab or limo. If I were using TTC to access UPX at Bloor, I would probably just carry on to Kipling and take the bus rather than pay the huge UPX rate.

Hopefully 192 will remain popular even after UPX opens.

- Paul
 
It's like 20 dollars more.. 900% is 20 bucks :)

TTC's website says it takes 70-90 min to take the Lawrence bus to the airport depending on traffic.
https://www.ttc.ca/Riding_the_TTC/Airport_service.jsp

Spending 1 to 1.5 hours on a bus that stops every few hundred meters in traffic doesn't sound fun. I think I'd rather be on a fast comfortable train for 20 min with no traffic.

192 bus is probably best for those who live on the Bloor line, especially in the western part.

When Eg Crosstown happens, hopefully there will be a UPX stop at Mt Dennis, then I'd take Eg there and transfer, and get a cheaper ride on UPX to Pearson from there, no bus, no traffic.
 
ehlow said:
Spending 1 to 1.5 hours on a bus that stops every few hundred meters in traffic doesn't sound fun. I think I'd rather be on a fast comfortable train for 20 min with no traffic.
Click to expand...
If you lived at Lawrence Station, I don't know if you'd bother going all the way south to Union, walking nearly half-a-kilometre from the subway to the UPX station, and then waiting up to 15 minutes to catch a train.

And if you lived near the subway and didn't live at Lawrence Station, I'd take the subway to Lawrence West, or Kipling.

Sure, if your starting downtown the UPX is a no-brainer.
 
Yeah, if I lived at Lawrence Station I'd just take my one seat ride to the airport. Taking the subway to Union, then having to transfer to the UPX (not to mention the waiting), and then having to transfer to the Link train (I usually fly American Airlines out of T3) doesn't sound fun.
 
LNahid2000 said:
Yeah, if I lived at Lawrence Station I'd just take my one seat ride to the airport. Taking the subway to Union, then having to transfer to the UPX (not to mention the waiting), and then having to transfer to the Link train (I usually fly American Airlines out of T3) doesn't sound fun.
Click to expand...

Another option worth mentioning if you live up north on the Yonge line, is to take the TTC subway to York Mills station, and then take the GO Bus to Pearson from York Mills.

Its express (no stops) and drives right to Pearson.

Thats the route Google Maps suggests.

I believe the GO Bus is $5, and the TTC being $3 you are at about $8. Still cheaper than UPX.
 
You must log in or register to post here.

Back
Top