UP Express UP Express: FREE Rides on Family Day Weekend (February 13 to 15) FREE Rides on Family Day Weekend!
get this dealIf you're in the Greater Toronto Area and need a trip to Union Station or Pearson International Airport this Family Day weekend (February 13 to 15), skip the bus or taxi and take a trip on the UP Express, as they'll be offering FREE trips that entire weekend! Not only is this a great deal for travelers, but it can also make a nifty family outing for rail-fans and kids, as trains are always neat no matter how old you are.
The UP Express began service in June 2015 and promises a 25-minute trip between Union Station and Pearson International Airport. There are two stops in between (Bloor and Weston), meaning you can even use it for a free trip to either of those areas to save on transit or gas! A one-way fare from Union to Pearson is normally $27.50 for adults and this free weekend is a great opportunity to experience the service first-hand.
While the service has struggled due to poor ridership and a high price relative to alternative transit, it has been lauded for its fast service, convenience and friendly staff.
Specific terms such as rider limits or if tickets need to be booked in advance have yet to be disclosed, but we'll update this post as more details are released.
Thanks to our resident RFD forums wizard TomRFD for originally posting this deal in our Freebies forum!
Showing 40 Most Recent Comments
View allIf I was not going to be able to skip the lines on the way back...I would have definitely taken the 192 Rocket bus instead for sure.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kix8vmT-3ys
Eventually the Pearson train got "unstuck" so it came in.
So I don't know about how reliable this is if this, my first impression of the UP Express, is to be used as an expectation in a real-life scenario when needing to get to the airport.
Looks like the lineups have cleared up if anyone still wants to catch a ride.
Crazy! 2-3 hour wait. Sounds like another @Gotham_Casting fiasco.
https://twitter.com/UPexpress/status/699345937047621632
Line looks long, but there's plenty of seat. It was a nice experience, but I wouldn't pay ~$30 unless I'm super desperate to get home from work (downtown) to home (west end).
Reminds me of the JR trains in Japan which are super nice and comfy which also cost about $55 from Shijunku to Narita aiport.
union-pearson-express-1625409/
There is no need to duplicate, imho.
Blame the politicians, not Metrolinx, for UPX fiasco
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/tor ... e28751913/
It would give the service the exposure it needs to potential customers as well as much needed use which it has not been getting.
So far it's been running empty or way below capacity, racking up wear and tear but underutilized.
All courtesy of Taxpayers dollars.
A couple times the busses were full so I had to wait for the next one. I live at ACC so I TTC on my own dime and UP when it's on business
BUT maybe the TTC just hates me so there's that too haha! The bi-weekly subway closures are super fun too, it's 1-1.5 hour from St. George to Kipling depending on traffic. I feel bad for travelers who come in, were told to take TTC then find out they have to transfer to a crowded shuttle bus at Keele. They're done for now... hopefully. I think they're doing the eastern side in the next few months.
I've timed the last 6-7 times I did it and it's consistantly around 1.5 hours because you'll never catch everything exactly there's always some waiting involved during transfers.
Whereas the UP express is pretty much 25 min on the dot (as advertised) if you catch it. However I do agree it's not that convenient unless you live around Union.
https://twitter.com/dmrider/status/698609676649308160
apparently they're 3 times as long as that pic now
I think they said that because they only want travelers, friends picking/dropping off travelers, and employees there. Basically people who arent there just to hang around.
If I were you, and the kids are quite interested, I'd bring them.
Maybe make it UPX no pants Day on Sunday and bring your pet to the autoshow on Monday?
For those wanting this to be availabel at TTC prices.
The GO Train Snobs and Elite on here will burn you at the stake as this was built for the elite Business traveller in mind, using taxes paid by all. Including the taxes of the menial TTC customer.
Was thinking to bring children to watch airplanes close-up inside the terminal...etc
Also, not everyone lives in Union Station. You have to get there first and if youre already on the TTC, you might as well stay on it since transferring to the UP Express involves a 400 metre walk at Union Station.
http://www.internationalcentre.com/even ... endar.html
Yes. Nobody can stop you from hopping on/off at Bloor and/or Weston instead of official end points.
can you take the UP express train from Union to Bloor station free instead to get from downtown to west end fast?
more like 1 hour and half (90 min) to get from Pearson to Union station by bus and subway
We'd be using less credit card tap and more Presto for most of our purchases.
It's still $15 to save 35mins.
Ionno. I'd say $15 without Presto is more acceptable. But that's just me.
TTC is $3 in like 60mins.
UP is $27 in like 25mins.
Seems like most dont see the point in paying an extra $24 to save 35mins.