To navigate Union Station Toronto, think in five zones: the Great Hall and Front Street entrance, the VIA Rail concourse, the GO York and Bay concourses, the TTC subway station, and the UP Express platform on the west side, reached by the SkyWalk. Elevators or ramps serve every main route. There are no public lockers, so plan where your bags go.
Union Station is a transfer point for VIA Rail, GO trains, UP Express, the TTC subway and, a block away, the coach terminal. With a backpack it is easy; with two suitcases and a child it can take twenty minutes of wrong turns. This guide gives the routes. If you would rather be met and driven onward, our Union Station car service page explains the Front Street pickup and fares.
How do you navigate Union Station Toronto? The five zones
- The Great Hall and Front Street. The historic hall behind the columns on Front Street West. Taxis and pickups use Front Street.
- The VIA Rail concourse. Ticketing, waiting areas and boarding for VIA trains.
- The GO concourses. The York concourse on the west side and the Bay concourse on the east side, below the tracks, where GO riders wait for their platform.
- The TTC Union station. Line 1 subway, reached underground from the lower level.
- The UP Express station. On the west side, linked by the SkyWalk toward the CN Tower and Rogers Centre.
Once you know which zone you start in and which you need, every route below is a combination of these.
Is there luggage storage at Union Station?
This is the question we are asked most. The FAQ on the station's website is clear: there are no public lockers or baggage storage at Union Station. VIA Rail offers baggage services to its own ticketed passengers under its own rules and fees, so check with VIA Rail if you are travelling with them. Everyone else uses private storage shops in nearby buildings, booked online, or keeps the bags with them. If you have hours to spare between trains, our post on things to do near Union Station covers what is realistic with luggage.
Route 1: VIA train to UP Express (for Pearson)
- Leave the VIA platform and follow signs for UP Express.
- Head west through the station toward the York side.
- Take the elevator or escalator up to the SkyWalk level.
- Follow the SkyWalk signs to the UP Express station.
- Buy a ticket or tap a PRESTO card or contactless card, then board.
Allow 10-15 minutes with bags. The station FAQ lists the first UP train from Union at 5:30 a.m. and the last at 1 a.m.; confirm current times on UP Express before an early flight. Our comparison of UP Express from Union to Pearson vs a car helps decide whether the train is right for your party.
Route 2: GO train to VIA Rail
GO riders arrive into the York or Bay concourse depending on the platform. Follow the signs for VIA Rail; the VIA concourse is signposted from both. Allow 5-10 minutes. For a tight connection, sit near the middle of the GO train so you are not at the far end of a long platform with bags.
Route 3: Union Station to the Union Station Bus Terminal
From the Bay concourse, go toward Scotiabank Arena, through the Scotiabank Galleria, up the escalator and over the pedestrian bridge above Bay Street into 81 Bay Street. Elevators serve the route. Outdoors, walk south on Bay from Front Street. Either takes about five minutes. Full detail on the terminal is in our Union Station Bus Terminal guide.
Route 4: Subway to any train
From TTC Union station, the exits lead up into the lower level of Union. Follow signs for VIA, GO or UP. For UP, you still go west and up to the SkyWalk, which is the longest walk in the building. With a stroller, look for the elevator symbols on the signs rather than the nearest escalator.
Route 5: Front Street to anything
If you arrive by car or taxi, you are dropped on Front Street. Enter through the Great Hall doors. VIA is closest. For GO, head down to the concourses. For UP Express, it is often quicker to be dropped at the west end of the station nearer the SkyWalk than in front of the Great Hall; tell your driver. Our chauffeurs use the drop-off that matches your train.
Elevators, ramps and accessibility
The station says dedicated elevators or ramps serve every primary pedestrian path to the VIA concourse, GO concourses, TTC and the adjoining buildings and streets. In practice the elevator is sometimes a short detour from the escalator, so watch the signs. VIA offers assistance to passengers who request it in advance, and GO publishes accessibility information on GO Transit. If a family member uses a wheelchair, allow double the walking times in this guide.
Washrooms and waiting
According to the station, washrooms are in the West Wing and the GO York concourse. VIA passengers have their own waiting areas. Food courts and cafés are spread across the lower level. For a long wait, the connected PATH network leads north into the Financial District's underground shopping, which is warm in winter but easy to get lost in with bags.
Five traps that cost travellers time
- Going to the Great Hall for UP Express. UP is on the west side via the SkyWalk.
- Expecting lockers. There are none for the public.
- Meeting a friend "at Union Station". Pick a named spot, such as the Great Hall or a specific concourse.
- Booking a coach and waiting at Union. Coaches leave from 81 Bay Street.
- Asking a car to collect you "at Union" on a Blue Jays or Leafs night. Front Street will be crowded; allow extra time.
A family of five: VIA from Montreal to a Pearson flight
A family arrives on a VIA train at 1:30 p.m. and has an 8 p.m. flight from Terminal 1. They have five suitcases. Option A: follow Route 1 to UP Express, 10-15 minutes through the station plus the ride, then five cases through Terminal 1. UP Express lets children 12 and under ride free, so for this family the train is cheap. Option B: a pre-booked SUV meets them on Front Street, and the bags go from the train to the car in one walk. The car wins on effort and on the elevator queue with five cases; the train wins on price. Our Pearson to Union Station route has the fare comparison.
A solo business traveller between meetings
A consultant arrives on a GO train from Oakville at 8:40 a.m. with a roller bag for an overnight trip, has meetings on Bay Street, and a 6 p.m. flight. The PATH gets her to the office without going outside. After work she has two choices: back through Union to UP Express, or a car from the office door. With a laptop bag and roller, the train is simple. On a sleety February evening, the car collects her at the lobby and she answers email on the way. Both are reasonable; we just want her to know the UP platform is on the west side before she starts walking.
Arriving on UP Express from Pearson: the reverse route
Coming in from the airport, UP Express delivers you to its platform on the west side. From there, follow the SkyWalk signs east into the station. For VIA, keep following VIA signs down to the concourse. For GO, go down to the York concourse and check the screens. For the subway, follow TTC signs to the lower level. For a taxi or a pre-booked car, head to Front Street. For the coach terminal, you are crossing the whole station west to east, so allow 15 minutes with bags. If a friend is meeting you, the Great Hall is a better meeting point than the UP platform, which has little space to wait.
Rush hour inside the station
Weekday mornings from about 7 to 9:30 and evenings from about 4 to 6:30 are when commuters pour through the GO concourses. Moving against that tide with two suitcases is slow. If you can, time a transfer outside those windows. If you cannot, keep to the right, stand to one side while you read the screens, and use the elevators, which commuters mostly skip. Weekend mornings are quiet; weekend evenings before a concert or a game are busy again around the arena side.
Winter and event nights
In January, the indoor routes through the Galleria and the PATH are worth the extra steps. On game and concert nights at Scotiabank Arena and Rogers Centre, the Bay concourse and SkyWalk fill with fans before and after. If your train leaves at 10:30 p.m. on a playoff night, arrive early; if you are collecting someone, pick a spot away from the arena side. The City of Toronto posts street closures for big events.
Meeting someone arriving at Union
Tell them exactly where you will be. The simplest meeting points are the Great Hall for VIA arrivals and the top of the GO concourse stairs for GO riders. If you have booked our chauffeur, the default is the Front Street pickup; meet and greet inside the station is an optional add-on at booking, planning figure $25-35.
Onward from Union: which ride for which destination
Once you are out of the station, the right onward ride depends on where you are going. For hotels in the Financial District and along the waterfront, walking or the PATH is usually enough. For Billy Bishop airport, it is a short hop by car or a walk to the foot of Bathurst; the sibling post on Toronto Island airport to Union Station covers it. For Pearson, UP Express or a car. For suburbs such as Markham or Vaughan, a GO train if you live near a station, otherwise a booked car from Front Street.
Booking a pickup or drop-off at Union
Tell us the train, its scheduled arrival and which zone you need. The chauffeur tracks VIA delays and adjusts. Fares to Pearson, Billy Bishop and the suburbs are shown before you confirm.
