Toronto Airport to Union Station: UP Express, TTC or a Private Car

Toronto airport to Union Station: the short answer

Of all the trips people search for between Pearson and the city, this one has the most competition. Union Station is the one place in Toronto where the airport train, regional rail, intercity rail and the subway meet, so a surprising number of travellers ask whether a car makes any sense at all.

Sometimes it does not. If you are arriving alone with a carry-on and your next move is a train from Union, the UP Express is the tool for the job. If you are heading to a hotel, to a meeting near Front Street, or onward with a family and luggage, the question gets more interesting. This page covers both directions, Pearson to Union and Union back to Pearson, since the same options apply.

Check your fixed fare

Pearson to Union Station: every option side by side

Prices are the operators' published fares as of 2026. Times assume you start at the arrivals door at Pearson and finish at the street outside Union Station.

How the UP Express works, end to end

The UP Express is a dedicated airport line with four stations: Pearson, Weston, Bloor and Union. Pearson station is in Terminal 1, beside the platform for the free Terminal Link train that joins Terminals 1 and 3.

From Terminal 1, the operator's arrivals guide says to follow "Train to City" signs. Domestic arrivals go up to the second level of the arrivals concourse, cross a ramp and go up one more level. International arrivals leave the hall, head left and go up two levels. In both cases you cross the link-train platform and continue to the UP platform.

From Terminal 3, take the Link Train to Terminal 1; the ride is about two minutes. The UP platform is just around the corner from where you step off.

The timetable looks like this:

• Frequency: every 15 minutes, seven days a week.
• Toward Union: first train from Pearson at 5:27 a.m. on weekdays and 6:24 a.m. on weekends and holidays; last train at 12:54 a.m.
• Toward Pearson: first train from Union at 4:55 a.m., last at 1:00 a.m. (Union departures page).
• Ticket: the adult single is $12.35 as of 2026. Children 12 and under, accessibility companions, veterans and Canadian Armed Forces members can ride free under the fare rules.

Pages disagree on first and last times by a few minutes. Treat the figures as a guide and check the app on the day.

Where you end up at Union Station

Union Station sits at 65 Front Street West, between Bay and York streets, opposite the Fairmont Royal York. From the UP platform you can reach the TTC subway, the GO Transit trains and bus terminal, and VIA Rail. The City of Toronto's station page lists the connections, including Amtrak.

If your hotel is on the Front Street block or a short walk via the PATH underground network, the train arrival is genuinely convenient. If your hotel is across the Financial District or up in Yorkville, you step off the train and then need a taxi, rideshare or subway to finish. Union is a great place to change modes and a mediocre place to finish a trip.

The taxi and rideshare zones at Union are on Front Street, toward York Street, according to the City. Arrangements around Front Street have changed during construction, so look for current signage.

The TTC: bus to subway to Union

The 900 Airport Express serves Terminal 1 at ground level and Terminal 3 at arrivals level, then runs to Kipling Station on Line 2. The TTC puts the bus ride at 20 to 25 minutes, with service from about 5:30 a.m. to 2 a.m. Monday to Saturday.

From Kipling you ride Line 2 east to St George, change to Line 1 and head south to Union. The fare is a single TTC fare ($3.30 on PRESTO or a tapped card as of 2026) and a transfer is valid for two hours when you pay by card.

It is the cheapest option and the slowest. It is workable for a student with a backpack and an unreasonable plan for a family of four with checked bags. The subway has stairs at several interchanges, and rush-hour cars on Line 1 can be crowded.

The drive from Pearson to Union Station

The road route is simple: out of Pearson to Highway 427 south, then the Gardiner Expressway eastbound, exiting at York or Spadina to reach Front Street. Highway 401 east and the Don Valley Parkway is the alternative when the Gardiner is blocked.

Drive time is highly time-of-day dependent:

• Weekday mornings (6:30 to 9:30 a.m.): the inbound Gardiner is slowest, and 55 to 70 minutes is common.
• Weekday afternoons (3:30 to 7:00 p.m.): the Gardiner in both directions is slow. Allow 50 to 70 minutes.
• Midday, evenings and weekends: 30 to 45 minutes.
• After 10 p.m.: often 25 to 35 minutes, door to door.

The final few hundred metres are the hard part. Front Street is a busy drop-off zone with limited kerb space. Your chauffeur knows where to stop and will wait for you if you need a few minutes with the luggage.

Book this transfer

Union Station to Pearson: the return trip

Travelling back to the airport works best when you build in margin. Check-in rules, security lines and customs-bound flights vary, so aim to arrive at Pearson well before your airline's check-in deadline. By train, factor in the walk from your hotel to Union and the 28-minute ride. By car, the departures drop-off at Terminal 1 or Terminal 3 is where we deliver you, as close to your airline's check-in as the airport allows.

The strongest case for a pre-booked car on the return is the early-morning flight. UP Express starts at 4:55 a.m. from Union, which suits flights after about 8 a.m. Earlier departures cannot rely on it, and the 900 bus has its own morning start. A booked car does not depend on a timetable. It leaves when you tell us.

When a private car beats the train

• Four people, four bags. The train is charged per person and every bag has to be wrestled up and down platform levels.
• Arriving after midnight. If your flight lands after 12:30 a.m. there is no train.
• Children and car seats. Child and booster seats can be requested at booking.
• Reduced mobility. Door to door means no long walks across Terminal 1 or through Union's concourse.
• Business arrivals. A name-board meet and greet inside arrivals, with an alias on the board if you prefer privacy, gets you to a meeting on schedule.

On the other hand, the UP Express beats a car on a Friday at 5 p.m. when the Gardiner is a car park, or when you are one person with one bag going to Union. We say so because it is true.

Meeting your chauffeur at Pearson

We follow your flight in the air, so the car is timed to the actual landing, not the printed one. Free waiting runs 60 minutes after an international arrival and 30 after a domestic one, which covers a slow customs hall. The pickup point for your terminal is printed on your confirmation; Terminals 1 and 3 are laid out differently, and pre-arranged cars use designated points apart from the taxi and rideshare zones.

For the full terminal picture, see the Toronto Pearson airport page. The nearby routes are the Pearson to downtown Toronto transfer, the Pearson to Niagara Falls transfer and the Union Station to Niagara Falls transfer. Rail-specific advice sits on the Union Station rail transfers page.

Vehicles, booking and cancellation

For this run most pairs and small families take the Executive Sedan or the Luxury SUV; four people with checked bags are better in the SUV. The fleet page shows what each class carries, and the exact model is confirmed at booking.

Pricing works the same way on every route: the booker displays one fixed all-in fare for your pickup, drop-off and vehicle, and you see it before paying. If plans change, notice of more than 72 hours costs nothing, 72 hours or less is 10%, 48 hours or less is 50%, and 24 hours or less or a no-show is 100% of the fare, all counted from the scheduled pickup.

Reserve your car

The wider picture is on the Toronto and GTA hub and the airport transfers hub. Hourly cars and multi-leg days, such as Pearson to Union Station to a meeting and back, can sit on one booking.