UP Express officially goes into service

Mississauga– A new express train to Pearson International Airport made its maiden voyage at the crack of dawn on Saturday.
The Union Pearson Express was filled with eager riders who were given free tickets through a Metrolinx contest as it pulled out of Union Station at around 5:30 a.m. for the 25-minute-trip to Pearson International Airport.
The long-awaited rail line, which was constructed at a cost of $456 million, will now operate every 15 minutes, 19.5 hours a day with stops at the Bloor and Weston GO stations.

The cost of riding the UP Express will be $27.50 or $19 with a Presto card.
“We have talked about this for decades, a way to get to the airport quickly, and it is finally here,” Metrolinx spokesperson Ann Marie Aikins told CP24 at Union Station Saturday morning. “It is a reason to celebrate for everyone in Toronto. Customers are going to come from all over the world to use this service and that’s pretty exciting.”
Tory says train brings Toronto into 21st century
One of the first customers to ride the UP Express on Saturday was Mayor John Tory, who hopped on the train at Pearson International Airport at around 7:30 a.m. after returning from a Federation of Canadian Municipalities meeting in Edmonton.
Speaking with CP24 after stepping off the train at Union Station, Tory described his experience as “fantastic” and said the presence of a rail link to the airport will help bring Toronto “into the 21st century.”
“We have a congestion crisis in this city plain and simple, we have to take steps to deal with it and this is one thing that has been talked about for years and years and years,” he said. “It is a comfortable train, it’s easy to use and I think it will be great for tourists, great for business people and great for everyone who lives in Toronto. It’s absolutely fantastic.”
Officials expect the UP Express to attract 5,000 riders a day at first, removing about 1.2 million cars from Toronto roads every year.
The goal is for the train to then grow to attract 2.35 million riders a year by 2018.
“It’s not often that you get to launch a brand new service,” Metrolinx CEO Bruce McCuaig said at a ribbon cutting for the train held later Saturday morning. “This is going to be a great service not only for today but for the next 30, 40 or 50 years for people of this city, this region and this province.”
To further mark the launch of the UP Express, the CN Tower will be lit up in the colours of the train tonight.