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The Union Pearson Express (UP Express or UPX) is an
airport rail link An airport rail link is a service providing passenger rail transport from an airport to a nearby city by mainline or commuter trains, rapid transit, people mover, or light rail. Direct links operate straight to the airport terminal, while ...
connecting
Union Station A union station (also known as a union terminal, a joint station in Europe, and a joint-use station in Japan) is a railway station at which the tracks and facilities are shared by two or more separate railway companies, allowing passengers to ...
in
Downtown Toronto Downtown Toronto is the main central business district of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Located entirely within the district of Old Toronto, it is approximately 16.6 square kilometres in area, bounded by Bloor Street to the northeast and Dupont Str ...
to
Toronto Pearson International Airport Lester B. Pearson International Airport , commonly known as Toronto Pearson International Airport, is an international airport located in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. It is the main airport serving Toronto, its metropolitan area, and the surr ...
. The UP Express began operation on 6 June 2015, in time for the
2015 Pan American Games Fifteen or 15 may refer to: *15 (number), the natural number following 14 and preceding 16 *one of the years 15 BC, AD 15, 1915, 2015 Music * Fifteen (band), a punk rock band Albums * ''15'' (Buckcherry album), 2005 * ''15'' (Ani Lorak al ...
. The UP Express travels between Union and Pearson in 25 minutes departing every 30 minutes, seven days a week. At the launch announcement, it was stated that the UP Express was projected to carry 2.35million passengers annually and eliminate approximately 1.2million car trips in the first year. UP Express is operated as an independent division of
Metrolinx Metrolinx is a Crown agency of the Government of Ontario that manages and integrates road and public transport in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA), which comprises much of Ontario's Golden Horseshoe region. Headquartered at Union ...
, similarly to
GO Transit GO Transit is a regional public transit system serving the Greater Golden Horseshoe region of Ontario, Canada. With its hub at Union Station in Toronto, GO Transit's green-and-white trains and buses serve a population of more than seven mil ...
. An airport rail link was one of the priority projects identified in Metrolinx's regional transportation plan, "
The Big Move The Big Move is the regional transportation plan (RTP) published by Metrolinx for the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) in Ontario, Canada. It makes specific recommendations for transit projects, resulting from seven "green papers" and ...
". Construction began in 2011 as part of the Georgetown South Project, which expanded the rail corridor the UP Express shares with GO Transit and
Via Rail Via Rail Canada Inc. (), operating as Via Rail or Via, is a Canadian Crown corporation that is mandated to operate intercity passenger rail service in Canada. It receives an annual subsidy from Transport Canada to offset the cost of operating ...
. UP Express uses
diesel multiple unit A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple-unit train powered by on-board diesel engines. A DMU requires no separate locomotive, as the engines are incorporated into one or more of the carriages. Diesel-powered single-unit railcars are also ...
(DMU) trains that meet
United States Environmental Protection Agency The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is an independent executive agency of the United States federal government tasked with environmental protection matters. President Richard Nixon proposed the establishment of EPA on July 9, 1970; it ...
Tier 4
emission standards Emission standards are the legal requirements governing air pollutants released into the atmosphere. Emission standards set quantitative limits on the permissible amount of specific air pollutants that may be released from specific sources over ...
. The
Kitchener line Kitchener is one of the seven train lines of the GO Transit system in the Greater Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada. It extends westward from Union Station in Toronto to Kitchener, though most trains originate and terminate in Brampton in off-pe ...
and UP Express will be
electrified Electrification is the process of powering by electricity and, in many contexts, the introduction of such power by changing over from an earlier power source. The broad meaning of the term, such as in the history of technology, economic history ...
, although no date has been set. The UP Express has been criticized for not using electric trains from the outset, and for its initial fare prices that were high compared with other North American airport–city connections.


History


Early proposals

Improved transit connections to Pearson Airport have been of interest since the late 1980s. Before the specific pursuit of an
airport rail link An airport rail link is a service providing passenger rail transport from an airport to a nearby city by mainline or commuter trains, rapid transit, people mover, or light rail. Direct links operate straight to the airport terminal, while ...
, three formal studies were conducted, and released in 1989, 1990 and 1991. The last two presented options for either making a connection from the GO Georgetown (later extended and renamed Kitchener) train line or the
Toronto Transit Commission The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) is the public transport agency that operates bus, subway, streetcar, and paratransit services in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, some of which run into the Peel Region and York Region. It is the oldest and larges ...
's (TTC)
Line 2 Bloor–Danforth Line 2 Bloor–Danforth is a subway line in the Toronto subway system, operated by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). It has 31 stations and is in length. It opened on February 26, 1966, and extensions at both ends were completed in 1968 an ...
.


SNC-Lavalin era

Transport Canada Transport Canada (french: Transports Canada) is the department within the Government of Canada responsible for developing regulations, policies and services of road, rail, marine and air transportation in Canada. It is part of the Transporta ...
made a request for proposal for an airport rail link in April 2001. In May 2003, the submissions were pared down to four pre-qualified private consortia, who were then invited to submit business cases. An
SNC-Lavalin SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. is a Canadian company based in Montreal that provides engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) services to various industries, including mining and metallurgy, oil and gas, environment and water, infrastructure, a ...
subsidiary named the Union Pearson AirLink Group was selected as the successful respondent to finance, design, construct, operate and maintain an airport rail link on 13 November 2003. The service was to be called ''Blue22'', as a trip would take 22 minutes to or from Pearson with a stop at the Bloor GO/Dundas West TTC Station. Trains were to be refurbished
Budd Rail Diesel Car The Budd Rail Diesel Car, RDC, Budd car or Buddliner is a self-propelled diesel multiple unit (DMU) railcar. Between 1949 and 1962, 398 RDCs were built by the Budd Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The cars were primarily ad ...
s, and were expected to begin running between 2008 and 2010. By 2008, there had not been significant progress on the project because of failed consensus in negotiations, regulatory hurdles and community opposition. In June 2008, the Ontario government revised the
environmental assessment Environmental Impact assessment (EIA) is the assessment of the environmental impact, environmental consequences of a plan, policy, program, or actual projects prior to the decision to move forward with the proposed action. In this context, the te ...
process from a required three-year period to six months, and later that summer it resumed negotiations with Union Pearson AirLink Group on terms for a public-private partnership. Furthermore, the high-speed link received public statements of strong support from
Premier of Ontario The premier of Ontario (french: premier ministre de l'Ontario) is the head of government of Ontario. Under the Westminster system, the premier governs with the confidence of a majority the elected Legislative Assembly; as such, the premier typ ...
Dalton McGuinty, Toronto Mayor David Miller and the
federal government A federation (also known as a federal state) is a political entity characterized by a union of partially self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a central federal government ( federalism). In a federation, the self-gover ...
. In November 2008,
Metrolinx Metrolinx is a Crown agency of the Government of Ontario that manages and integrates road and public transport in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA), which comprises much of Ontario's Golden Horseshoe region. Headquartered at Union ...
, the Ontario government agency for Greater Toronto and Hamilton transportation, released its regional transportation plan titled "
The Big Move The Big Move is the regional transportation plan (RTP) published by Metrolinx for the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) in Ontario, Canada. It makes specific recommendations for transit projects, resulting from seven "green papers" and ...
", outlining how an airport rail link was part of a strategy to establish multi-directional high-order transit connectivity to the Pearson Airport district, in addition to the
Mississauga Transitway The Mississauga Transitway is a bus rapid transit (BRT) system in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. It comprises a series of purpose-constructed bus-only roadways, as well as reserved lanes on existing city streets and portions of Highway 403, tha ...
, rapid transit corridors along Highways
427 __NOTOC__ Year 427 ( CDXXVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Hierus and Ardabur (or, less frequently, year 1180 ...
and 407, and light rail transit lines along Eglinton and
Finch The true finches are small to medium-sized passerine birds in the family Fringillidae. Finches have stout conical bills adapted for eating seeds and nuts and often have colourful plumage. They occupy a great range of habitats where they are usua ...
Avenues. In December 2008, Metrolinx became the proponent of new EA that would simultaneously assess a combination of both the UP Express and
GO Transit GO Transit is a regional public transit system serving the Greater Golden Horseshoe region of Ontario, Canada. With its hub at Union Station in Toronto, GO Transit's green-and-white trains and buses serve a population of more than seven mil ...
's Georgetown South expansion. The final Environmental Project Report was released on 30 July 2009.


Metrolinx takeover

After two years of failed negotiations and financing difficulties, the public-private partnership between Ontario and the Union Pearson AirLink Group was called off in July 2010, and Metrolinx was handed responsibility to directly own and operate the service. Metrolinx established the new operating division that would become Union Pearson Express. The name "Air Rail Link" was used as a placeholder until the official name was unveiled on 29 November 2012. Metrolinx largely preserved the same project scope as had been approved in the environmental assessment, with the service designed for air travellers rather than for conventional commuters. Changes from SNC Lavalin's former proposal included refinements to take into account synergies with GO Transit. In November 2010, the Board of Directors of Metrolinx authorized its staff to enter into negotiations with Sumitomo Corporation of America to supply Diesel Multiple Units (DMUs); the contract was approved by the Board in February 2011 and executed on 31 March 2011. Kathy Haley was named the first president of the division in July 2011.


Construction

It was announced on 24 October 2011 that the consortium AirLinx Transit Partners had been selected to complete building the UP Express. The consortium comprises some of Canada's largest construction companies such as
Aecon Aecon Group Inc. is a construction company in Canada, providing services to private and public sector clients across its three core segments of Infrastructure, Industrial, and Concessions. Aecon produces construction materials including asphal ...
and Dufferin Construction. Construction on the spur line and passenger station at Pearson began in the spring of 2012, at a cost of $128.6million. As of 2010, the entire project was expected to cost $456million. Undertaken as part of the Georgetown South Project, the work consisted of five new road overpasses and two road underpasses, one railway grade separation, one bridge reconstruction and the widening of 15 other bridges, construction/re-construction of four stations, major track and grading construction, signal installations utility relocations, as well as the new elevated spur to and from the airport. This work was conducted while minimizing disruption to existing train operations, local residents and businesses. A new rail tunnel under
Highway 401 King's Highway 401, commonly referred to as Highway 401 and also known by its official name as the Macdonald–Cartier Freeway or colloquially referred to as the four-oh-one, is a controlled-access 400-series highway in the Canadian provin ...
was still required at a later date to meet future ridership demands. Construction of tunnels for two tracks began in July 2019 and is expected to be completed in late 2021.


Initial operation

Service began on 6 June 2015, operated by the Union Pearson Express division of Metrolinx. With an adult one-way fare of $27.50 cash or $19.00 with a
Presto card The Presto card (stylized as PRESTO) is a contactless smart card automated fare collection system used on participating public transit systems in the province of Ontario, Canada, specifically in Greater Toronto, Hamilton, and Ottawa. Presto car ...
, the service was criticized for being the most expensive airport rail link service in North America; the fare was later reduced. During the 2016
Family Day Family Day is a public holiday in the countries of Angola, Israel, South Africa, Uruguay, Vanuatu, and Vietnam; in the Australian Capital Territory; in the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, Saskatchewan and soon New Brunswic ...
weekend, the Union Pearson Express offered free rides to everyone. It resulted in lineups approximately two hours long at both ends of the line as more than 28,000 passengers took advantage of the opportunity.


Fare reduction

A new fare structure was introduced on 9 March 2016, which reduced the one-way ticket price between Union and Pearson from $27.50 to $12.00 cash, and from $19.00 to $9.00 with a
Presto card The Presto card (stylized as PRESTO) is a contactless smart card automated fare collection system used on participating public transit systems in the province of Ontario, Canada, specifically in Greater Toronto, Hamilton, and Ottawa. Presto car ...
. The change also introduced GO pricing between Bloor/Weston and Union stations. President Kathy Haley stepped down on 31 March 2016, and Metrolinx announced that it was conducting an organizational review. In 2017, the Discounted Double Fare program was introduced, which offered UP Express and GO Transit customers a discount of $1.50 when transferring to or from the TTC (equal to a 50 percent reduction of the $3.00 TTC cash fare at the time). The arrangement ended in March 2020 when the
Government of Ontario The government of Ontario (french: Gouvernement de l'Ontario) is the body responsible for the administration of the Canadian province of Ontario. A constitutional monarchy, the Crown—represented in the province by the lieutenant governor� ...
terminated funding for the program. On April 20, 2019, monthly capping of fares was silently discontinued, resulting in an effective fare increase of 10 to 15 per cent for regular commuters, while single fares did not change. Metrolinx continues to offer a monthly pass for airport employees.


Service

Union Pearson Express operates daily between 4:55 am and 1:00 am every 15 minutes, making approximately 140 trips per day.


Route

From Union Station, the UP Express heads northwest along the existing GO Transit
Kitchener line Kitchener is one of the seven train lines of the GO Transit system in the Greater Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada. It extends westward from Union Station in Toronto to Kitchener, though most trains originate and terminate in Brampton in off-pe ...
. This section of track between Bathurst Street and Highway 427 was upgraded as part of GO's Georgetown South Project, which improved infrastructure along the route to accommodate the UP Express, GO Transit,
Canadian National The Canadian National Railway Company (french: Compagnie des chemins de fer nationaux du Canada) is a Canadian Class I freight railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, which serves Canada and the Midwestern and Southern United States. CN ...
, and
Via Rail Via Rail Canada Inc. (), operating as Via Rail or Via, is a Canadian Crown corporation that is mandated to operate intercity passenger rail service in Canada. It receives an annual subsidy from Transport Canada to offset the cost of operating ...
services. The UP Express makes two intermediate stops at Bloor and
Weston Weston may refer to: Places Australia * Weston, Australian Capital Territory, a suburb of Canberra * Weston, New South Wales * Weston Creek, a residential district of Canberra * Weston Park, Canberra, a park Canada * Weston, Nova Scotia * ...
GO stations. Bloor Station was redesigned for better access and connection to GO Transit, and Metrolinx is working towards a future direct connection to the Dundas West subway station. Beyond Highway 427, a newly constructed rail spur carries the UP Express from the Kitchener line to the airport, forming the longest elevated rail line in Ontario. The elevated spur to Pearson Airport reaches a maximum height of , offering a view of the Downtown Toronto and Mississauga City Centre skylines. At Pearson, the UP Express arrives at Terminal 1, where riders can connect to the existing
Link Train The Terminal Link (formerly Link Train) is an automated people mover (APM) at Toronto Pearson International Airport in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.The 1.5 km line connects Terminals 1 and 3 (there is no longer a Terminal 2) and the Viscount R ...
inter-terminal shuttle to Terminal 3 and the Viscount parking garage.


Stations

At Toronto Union Station, UP Express departs from a newly constructed station immediately west of the railway station of the same name, connected to it by the
SkyWalk A skyway, skybridge, skywalk, or sky walkway is an elevated type of pedway connecting two or more buildings in an urban area, or connecting elevated points within mountainous recreational zones. Urban skyways very often take the form of enclos ...
. The UP station features numerous amenities including a fully enclosed platform and waiting area, a guest services desk, a café, a gift shop and a licensed lounge.Union Pearson Express: The Project - Stations
Whereas other GO Transit lines use low-floor vehicles accessed from low-level platforms, the Union Pearson Express is operated with high-floor vehicles necessitating high-level platforms. As a result, at Bloor and Weston stations, UP operates from its own dedicated platforms adjacent to the Kitchener line platforms. It is proposed to put a stop at
Mount Dennis station Mount Dennis is an intermodal transit terminal under construction in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Located east of the intersection of Eglinton Avenue and Weston Road in the Mount Dennis neighbourhood in the district of York, the station will be t ...
to connect with the under-construction
Line 5 Eglinton Line 5 Eglinton (also known as the Eglinton Crosstown or the Crosstown) is a light rail line that is under construction in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Owned by Metrolinx and operated by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC), the line will be part of ...
, to be opened in 2022.


Rolling stock

The Union Pearson Express uses
Nippon Sharyo DMU The Nippon Sharyo DMU is a model of diesel multiple unit passenger train designed and manufactured by Nippon Sharyo for the North American market, and compliant with FRA Tier 1 crashworthiness standards. It has been ordered by Sonoma–Marin Area ...
trains. The fleet consists of 18
diesel multiple unit A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple-unit train powered by on-board diesel engines. A DMU requires no separate locomotive, as the engines are incorporated into one or more of the carriages. Diesel-powered single-unit railcars are also ...
(DMU) cars, as four three-car and three two-car sets. Initially, on 1 March 2011, Metrolinx announced that it had chosen to buy 12 DMU cars (six two-car trains) from
Nippon Sharyo , formed in 1896, is a major rolling stock manufacturer based in Nagoya, Japan. In 1996, it abbreviated its name to "日本車両" Nippon Sharyō. Its shortest abbreviation is Nissha "日車". It was a listed company on Nikkei 225 until 2 ...
at a cost of $53million, for the service. This was later expanded to 18 DMU cars (adding one car to each train via an option order). This brought the cost to million. The DMUs were manufactured in
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...
, assembled in Nippon Sharyo's facility in
Rochelle, Illinois Rochelle is a city in Ogle County, Illinois. The population was 9,446 at the 2020 census. Rochelle is approximately west of Chicago and south of Rockford. History Originally named Hickory Grove, the town sits at the intersection of two ra ...
, and towed by rail to Toronto, with the first trainset arriving on 15 August 2014. The trainsets seat between 115 and 173 people. On-board features include power outlets,
Wi-Fi Wi-Fi () is a family of wireless network protocols, based on the IEEE 802.11 family of standards, which are commonly used for local area networking of devices and Internet access, allowing nearby digital devices to exchange data by radio waves ...
, luggage facilities, and washrooms. The UP Express DMUs are based on the design created for the Sonoma–Marin Area Rail Transit system in California. Powered by a diesel hydraulic drive with a six-speed automatic transmission and regenerative braking, the DMUs are believed to be the first trains in the world that comply with the
United States Environmental Protection Agency The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is an independent executive agency of the United States federal government tasked with environmental protection matters. President Richard Nixon proposed the establishment of EPA on July 9, 1970; it ...
Tier 4
emission standards Emission standards are the legal requirements governing air pollutants released into the atmosphere. Emission standards set quantitative limits on the permissible amount of specific air pollutants that may be released from specific sources over ...
, which will reduce emissions up to 90%. Braking energy is converted into electricity by the auxiliary power generator, and helps to provide onboard lighting and heating. They also comply with
FRA A friar is a member of one of the mendicant orders founded in the twelfth or thirteenth century; the term distinguishes the mendicants' itinerant apostolic character, exercised broadly under the jurisdiction of a superior general, from the o ...
Tier 1 crash energy management features. Modifications for UP Express use include enclosed overhead luggage bins that comply with Transport Canada rules and an enhanced enclosed luggage tower.


Environmental impact

The Tier 4 engines produce substantially lower emissions than most other diesel vehicles in Toronto. The Environmental Impact Assessment for the UP Express of 2009 was carried out assuming that trains would be Tier 3 standard rather than Tier 4, and showed that at peak frequency the air quality effect of the additional trains would not raise any pollution level above the provincial criterion levels. The 2010 Metrolinx electrification study, which did assume the use of Tier 4 emissions technologies for diesel propulsion options, found that the Georgetown/UP Express diesel service would contribute on the order of 0.2% to local air pollution, and that electrification would result in only a small improvement to local air quality. In an additional review of human health assessment in 2011, GO Transit examined the current plan for Tier 4 emission controls on both the UP Express trains and conversion of existing GO locomotives to Tier 4 and found that the human health risks of the diesel UP Express service are negligible, but that current background air quality (from other pollution sources in Toronto) is an issue.


Fares and ridership

Fares are based on age, origin and destination, and the method of payment (children ages 12 and under can ride UP Express for free year-round). Discounts are available for families, round trips, and airport staff. As with other GO Transit lines, integrated train tickets can be purchased through
Via Rail Via Rail Canada Inc. (), operating as Via Rail or Via, is a Canadian Crown corporation that is mandated to operate intercity passenger rail service in Canada. It receives an annual subsidy from Transport Canada to offset the cost of operating ...
to railway stations across Canada. Upon launch, one-way fares on the UP Express between were $27.50, or $19 with a Presto card. By 19 June 2015, the Union Pearson Express was averaging about 3,250 riders a day, or 12 percent capacity. Metrolinx has projected that a year after opening, the service will attract 5,000 riders a day — about 1million customers. By 2020, Metrolinx expects about 2.46million rides per year will bring it up to full operating cost recovery. The UP Express uses an honour-based proof-of-purchase system, in which customers must carry a pre-purchased UPX ticket or an already tapped Presto card, contactless credit card, or mobile wallet while on board the train(s) and must be presented for inspection upon request. Failure to do so can result in a fine. However, ridership declined in the service's opening months. Ridership in August 2015 was 17 percent lower than in June 2015 and a further 4 percent lower in the first two weeks of September. Ridership ended up averaging 2,300 per day during a four-week period in September 2015, a drop of 29 percent since June. The service needed about 7,000 riders per day to break even on operating costs. A report in February 2016 showed a drop in monthly ridership from the summer to 65,593 rides (just over 2,100 per day) in November 2015. This led Metrolinx to start considering price adjustments to boost ridership numbers. By January 2016, average ridership slumped further to 1,967 passengers per day. Fares were reduced on 9 March 2016 to $12 for a one-way trip between Union and Pearson, or $9 with a Presto card. On the first day of reduced fares, staff counted 5,300 boardings with 40 per cent of the riders being first-time UPX users, 83 per cent being air travelers and 17 per cent being commuters. By June 2016, the daily average ridership had risen to 7,657, and a new record was set on 29 July, when the service carried more than 11,000 passengers. However, the fare reduction has lowered the total revenue collected by the UP Express, which is expected to be below what is required for its operating costs. It was revealed that since opening day to March 2016, the UP Express' provincial operating subsidy totaled $39.3million or about $52.26 per ride. In July 2017, the most recent month for which patronage data is available, the UP Express carried an average of 10,091 passengers daily. On March 11, 2021, UP Express launched a pilot project for the new Presto open payment system. In addition to a Presto card, riders have the option to tap on and off using a credit card ( Visa, Mastercard or
American Express American Express Company (Amex) is an American multinational corporation, multinational corporation specialized in payment card industry, payment card services headquartered at 200 Vesey Street in the Battery Park City neighborhood of Lower Man ...
) or a
mobile device A mobile device (or handheld computer) is a computer small enough to hold and operate in the hand. Mobile devices typically have a flat LCD or OLED screen, a touchscreen interface, and digital or physical buttons. They may also have a physica ...
(mobile phone or watch). Metrolinx plans to allow open payment by debit card later in the second quarter of 2021. If the UPX pilot is successful, Metrolinx plans to make the open payment feature available on GO Transit and eventually expand to other regional public transit service providers in the Greater Toronto Hamilton Area including the Toronto Transit Commission.


Public opposition and legal challenges

Residents living along the
Weston Weston may refer to: Places Australia * Weston, Australian Capital Territory, a suburb of Canberra * Weston, New South Wales * Weston Creek, a residential district of Canberra * Weston Park, Canberra, a park Canada * Weston, Nova Scotia * ...
section of the route have objected to alterations to accommodate the GO Georgetown South corridor improvements and the addition of UP Express trains. Concerns include the division of Weston from the closing of level crossings, noise levels, air quality and property values. In April 2009, the Clean Train Coalition (CTC), representing the communities along the rail corridor, formed to put pressure on Metrolinx and the province to immediately prioritize electrification of the densely populated Georgetown South corridor and Union-Pearson Rail Link on opening day. However, both the province and Metrolinx Chairman Rob Prichard have indicated that using diesel trains is the only way to prevent significant delays. "We believe the Greater Toronto Area needs this project as fast as possible, and that means going with the cleanest diesel technology in the world," stated Prichard. In August 2012, the CTC took legal action against Metrolinx by submitting an application for judicial review. The application requested "quashing and setting aside any decision to implement or run Diesel Multiple Units along the Air Rail Link", on the basis that by taking direction from the Ontario government to complete the UP Express in time for the Pan American Games, a proper analysis between operating diesel and electric trains was not completed, running contrary to Metrolinx's legislated mandate. It also asserted that another review of air quality was warranted due to the
World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level o ...
's (WHO) reclassification of
diesel exhaust Diesel exhaust is the gaseous exhaust produced by a diesel type of internal combustion engine, plus any contained particulates. Its composition may vary with the fuel type or rate of consumption, or speed of engine operation (e.g., idling or at ...
as a
carcinogen A carcinogen is any substance, radionuclide, or radiation that promotes carcinogenesis (the formation of cancer). This may be due to the ability to damage the genome or to the disruption of cellular metabolic processes. Several radioactive sub ...
. Saba Ahmad, the lawyer representing the CTC, described the application as a test of whether government agencies must obey their own legislation. On 21 November 2012, the Ontario Divisional Court turned down the application, and ordered the CTC to pay $30,000 in court costs.


Transit alternatives

The Toronto Transit Commission offers a frequent express bus route, the 900 Airport Express, between
Kipling station Kipling is the western terminus station of Line 2 Bloor–Danforth of the Toronto subway system. The station is served by buses and subway trains operated by the Toronto Transit Commission and is adjacent to the Kipling GO Station on the Milton ...
and Pearson. Buses depart every 10 minutes or less, and a trip from downtown to Pearson Airport takes 45 minutes for the cost of a TTC fare. From 1993 until 2014, the Toronto Airport Express was a privately operated
airport bus An airport bus, or airport shuttle bus or airport shuttle is a bus used to transport people to and from, or within airports. These vehicles will usually be equipped with larger luggage space, and incorporate special branding. They are also com ...
service from the airport to downtown Toronto operated by Pacific Western Transportation. The route was founded by
Gray Coach Gray Coach was a Canadian inter-city bus line based in Toronto, Ontario, from 1927 to 1992. It was founded and initially owned by the Toronto Transportation Commission, until sold to Stagecoach in 1990. In 1992 the business was sold to Greyho ...
in 1979. As of 2012, a "One Ride Scheduled Service" to or from downtown Toronto cost $26.95 and a "One Ride On-Demand Airport Express Connect" fare cost $29.95. A one-way trip took approximately 45 to 90 minutes, depending on traffic. The service ceased operation on 31 October 2014 due to declining ridership, the popularity of the Billy Bishop Airport on Toronto Island, delays due to downtown road construction, and anticipated competition from the Union Pearson Express. Other public transit bus servicesoperated by GO Transit,
MiWay MiWay (pronounced "my way"; stylized miWAY), also known as Mississauga Transit and originally as Mississauga Transit Systems, is the municipal public transport agency serving Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, and is responsible to the city's Tra ...
, and
Brampton Transit Brampton Transit (BT) is a public transport bus operator for the City of Brampton in the Regional Municipality of Peel, and within the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) in Ontario, Canada. Brampton Transit began operations in 1974. In , the system had ...
connect Pearson Airport to Toronto and other cities in the
Greater Toronto Area The Greater Toronto Area, commonly referred to as the GTA, includes the City of Toronto and the regional municipalities of Durham, Halton, Peel, and York. In total, the region contains 25 urban, suburban, and rural municipalities. The Greater ...
.


Future

, Metrolinx is planning a major upgrade to the Union Pearson Express to better integrate it into the GO Transit rail network and to double the frequency of trains to the airport. , planning work was in its early stages and no plans had been finalized. The proposal includes: * Replacement of the existing diesel trainsets with electric trains that could also be used elsewhere in the GO Transit network once parts of that network are electrified. * Relocation of the Union Station platform for UP Express from the west wing of Union Station to the middle of the train shed south of the station's Great Hall. * Elimination of high platform areas at GO stations along the route, with UP Express trains using the same platforms as regular GO trains. According to the planning document dated 22 February 2019, it is uncertain whether the UP Express infrastructure at airport Terminal 1 can be modified to accommodate electrified GO trains. There were no cost estimates for infrastructure changes.


References


External links

* * , ''RMTransit'', 8 March 2020 {{Authority control
Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...
Passenger rail transport in Toronto Metrolinx Toronto Pearson International Airport The Big Move projects Railway lines opened in 2015 2015 establishments in Ontario