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

The train was Union-Pearson Express. Right there in the name. The Bloor and Weston stops were added later but part of the motivation was presumably to address the moaning (led by a local NDP politician) that "dirty diesels" (no, really) were passing every 15 minutes and killing people in Weston where they stood. Then the economy tanking (and the irritating-to-some persistence of Porter/YTZ) meant the UPXs were empty and fares were cut sufficiently to make it attractive to commuters who didn't want to ride the bus to Lawrence West or the subway to St George.
The question is, do you want a transit NETWORK, or do you want to pretend that the point of transit is only to move people to and from Union Station?
 
The question is, do you want a transit NETWORK, or do you want to pretend that the point of transit is only to move people to and from Union Station?
We do have a transit network. It's called the GO train. Which serves both Bloor and Weston. Improve the Kitchener line so riders at these stations aren't so reliant on the UPX, and the UPX can focus on doing what it was designed to do. Moving people quickly and efficiently between Union and Pearson.
 
And the rest of the people who need to get to the airport? Do you think people living at Bloor and Weston don't need to get to the airport quickly, be it for travel or for work? Should they wait 30 minutes like fools? Should they double back to Union? Should they take the much slower 2 + 900 combo or the 52/952?

Or, will they do the smart thing, tell them what they can do with their train, and drive?

All to save 2 minutes. Jesus Lord...
 
And the rest of the people who need to get to the airport? Do you think people living at Bloor and Weston don't need to get to the airport, be it for travel or for work? Should they double back to Union? Should they take the much slower 2 + 900 combo or the 952?

All to save 2 minutes. Jesus Lord...
I live close to Oakville GO. Where's MY express train to Pearson airport??? I thought we were trying to build a regional network you guys?! Seeesh!
 
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There's a world of difference between building a brand new rail connection where none has previously existed, and eliminating stops from a pre-existing service to save all of 2 minutes. The fact that you can't see that distinction tells me you're not engaging with this debate in good faith.

But yes, transit connections from many parts of the GTA to Pearson are pretty spotty, and deserve reworking. In your trolling, you accidentally ended up making a great point!
 
We do have a transit network. It's called the GO train. Which serves both Bloor and Weston. Improve the Kitchener line so riders at these stations aren't so reliant on the UPX, and the UPX can focus on doing what it was designed to do. Moving people quickly and efficiently between Union and Pearson.
No, GO train (and UP) should be integrated into a larger regional network that includes the TTC. That is why we have fare integration, and why the pedestrian connection is being built between Dundas West and Bloor Station. We should encourage airport travellers to use this transfer rather than force them to go out of their way to Union (depending on where they are coming from)
 
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No, GO train (and UP) should be integrated into a larger regional network that includes the TTC. That is why we have fare integration, and why the pedestrian connection is being built between Dundas West and Bloor Station. We should encourage airport travellers to use this transfer rather than force them to go out of their way to Union (depending on where they are coming from)
Or instead of getting off at Dundas West, riders take the Bloor line all the way to Kipling and transfer on to the TTC airport express bus. Get your fare integration and all. UPX is not part of the fare integration.
 
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Which is unreliable and takes twice as long as the UP?
It's like the stop spacing argument all over again. The irony is not lost on me that certain people have no issue consigning users of local stations to far longer trips so they can save less than 5 minutes on their trip. To get to Kipling alone from Dundas West is projected to take at least as long as the total journey from Union to Pearson!
 
No, GO train (and UP) should be integrated into a larger regional network that includes the TTC. That is why we have fare integration, and why the pedestrian connection is being built between Dundas West and Bloor Station. We should encourage airport travellers to use this transfer rather than force them to go out of their way to Union (depending on where they are coming from)
Which is unreliable and takes twice as long as the UP?

You never said anything about "time". You were talking about fare integration and not having travelers backtrack to Union. Kipling station and the 900 Airport Express solves both those issues. There's no doubt it's a longer trip, but it's more affordable.

What if Mississauga ran an express bus to the Airport from Malton GO station? Airport workers can take the GO train from Bloor & Weston to Malton.
 
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And the rest of the people who need to get to the airport? Do you think people living at Bloor and Weston don't need to get to the airport quickly, be it for travel or for work? Should they wait 30 minutes like fools? Should they double back to Union? Should they take the much slower 2 + 900 combo or the 52/952?

Or, will they do the smart thing, tell them what they can do with their train, and drive?

All to save 2 minutes. Jesus Lord...
This place makes me a laugh, if it was a bus route we'd argue to remove stops. If the vast majority of riders take a direct trip from union to the airport it makes sense of it to be more direct.
 
If I was to put myself in Westoners shoes, the one true differential between UPX and GO is operating hours. UPX operates an all day schedule whereas GO's inevitably tails off. But, as I noted previously, Westoners also have other no-change options to reach Pearson, and at the same time Mount Dennis is going to provide a relative firehose of connecting traffic in addition to local demand.

Yes, it doesn't make sense to remove Bloor for the same reason you would add a stop at Mount Dennis - even a small fraction of a rapid transit line choosing to transfer to UPX provides a lot of footfall. But I think that was a political call - Weston could not be singled out as the only station seeing reduction or elimination, not with Michael Ford's office within a stone's throw of Weston GO.
 
This place makes me a laugh, if it was a bus route we'd argue to remove stops. If the vast majority of riders take a direct trip from union to the airport it makes sense of it to be more direct.
Yes, it's almost as though different types of transit with different stop spacings call for different reactions.
 
Where are Bloor and Weston passengers supposed to hang out for 30 min while they wait for their train? I don't recall the Pearson platform (or any of them, really) having adequate seating and facilities for such wait times.
 
This place makes me a laugh, if it was a bus route we'd argue to remove stops. If the vast majority of riders take a direct trip from union to the airport it makes sense of it to be more direct.
When they first announced the UPE I assumed it would be like the Heathrow Express, a non-stop express train from downtown to the airport. How is it “Express” if it stops at two or three stations enroute? Might as well call it the Union Pearson Hop On.

Interestingly I’ve taken both rail options from London to Heathrow. There’s the Heathrow Express which is non-stop, but you can also take the Elizabeth Line which stops at other places before Paddington. https://www.executivetraveller.com/elizabeth-line-heathrow-review
 
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