Pearson to Union Station takes about 25–28 minutes on UP Express from Terminal 1, with trains roughly every 15 minutes and a $12.35 standard adult fare. By private car it is 25–45 minutes off-peak; a TorontoAirportTransfer.services business sedan is a planning figure of $130–160 all-in plus HST, fixed, door to door, for up to three people.
Pearson to Union Station: two good answers
Union Station at 65 Front Street West is Toronto's rail hub: VIA Rail to Montreal, Ottawa and beyond, GO Transit trains and buses across the region, and the UP Express airport train. Travellers going from Pearson to Union Station are usually doing one of three things: connecting to a train, walking to a nearby hotel, or starting a meeting in the Financial District. There are two strong ways to make the trip, the UP Express and a private car, and a couple of weaker ones. We run cars on this route every day, but we will be straight about it: for many solo travellers the train is the right call. For others, especially families, groups and anyone with heavy bags or a tight connection, a car is. This page sets out the differences so you can decide in two minutes.
UP Express from Pearson to Union: the facts
UP Express is operated by Metrolinx and runs between Pearson Terminal 1 and Union Station, calling at Weston and Bloor stations on the way. The operator advertises a trip time of 28 minutes, trains run roughly every 15 minutes through the day, and the standard adult fare from Pearson to Union is $12.35 as listed on the UP Express fares page in September 2026. Children 12 and under ride free, and there are family and group fares. PRESTO cards and contactless payment carry discounts. At Pearson the UP station is at Terminal 1; Terminal 3 passengers ride the free Terminal Link train to reach it. At Union, UP trains arrive at a dedicated platform on the west side of the station, linked by the SkyWalk. Check first and last train times on the UP Express site before an early or late flight.
Toronto airport to Union Station by private car: fares
Our planning figures for a one-way transfer between Pearson and Union Station are the same as for any downtown address, because Union is in the core. All fares are all-in (chauffeur, vehicle, fuel, 407 tolls if used, airport fees, gratuity), plus HST, and fixed before you confirm.
| Vehicle | Passengers / bags | Pearson to Union Station |
|---|---|---|
| Business sedan | 3 / 3 | $130–160 |
| First-class sedan | 3 / 3 | $195–240 |
| Executive SUV or luxury van | 6 / 6 | $160–205 |
| Sprinter | 14 / 14 | $280–345 |
The reservation engine gives the exact figure for your date, time and vehicle. See rates for every other destination.
Who should take UP Express to Union Station
Take the train when most of these are true:
- You are travelling alone or as a couple.
- You have a carry-on and perhaps one checked bag you can lift and roll yourself.
- You land at Terminal 1, or you do not mind the Terminal Link ride from Terminal 3.
- Your onward destination is Union itself (a VIA or GO train) or a hotel within a short walk: the Fairmont Royal York, the hotels on Front and York streets, or the towers around the Scotiabank Arena.
- You arrive during the day, when trains are frequent and the station is busy.
In that situation, UP Express is quick, predictable and inexpensive, and our advice is to use it.
Who should book a car from Pearson to Union Station
Book a car when any of these apply:
- Three or more adults: the per-person cost of a sedan or SUV approaches the train, and you ride together.
- Children with car seats, strollers and a week of luggage.
- A VIA connection with limited time, where a door-to-door car avoids the walk from the UP platform through the station with bags.
- Arrival at Terminal 3 late at night, when the Terminal Link plus UP adds steps and waiting.
- Travellers with limited mobility, or older relatives arriving alone.
- Your trip does not really end at Union: a condo in CityPlace, an office on Bay Street north of King, or a hotel in Yorkville.
For those trips, see our Pearson airport limo service or the private airport shuttle for groups.
Union Station to Pearson airport: the departure trip
Going the other way, Union Station to Pearson airport, the same logic holds with one addition: departures are time-critical. UP Express runs frequently, but if you are arriving at Union on a GO or VIA train with a connection to make, a delay on that first train has a knock-on effect. A car booked from Union waits for your actual train. Our chauffeur meets you at the Front Street pickup zone outside the main entrance, and 15 minutes of waiting is included on point-to-point pickups. If your train is late, dispatch sees it and the car stays. We drop at the departures level of Terminal 1 or Terminal 3, at the door for your airline. Unsure of the terminal? Check our terminal finder first.
Where the chauffeur picks you up at Union Station
Union is a large building with several concourses: the Great Hall and VIA areas, and the York and Bay concourses used mostly by GO passengers. Pre-booked cars, taxis and rideshare use the curbside area on Front Street in front of the main entrance. Follow the signs for Front Street; the chauffeur messages you with the car, plate and exact position, and pulls in as you come out, because Front Street does not allow long idling. For the full walkthrough of exits and the bus terminal at 81 Bay Street across the road, see our Union Station transfer page. The station's own site at torontounion.ca lists shops and services inside.
Where the chauffeur meets you at Pearson
For the airport end, the fare includes curbside pickup at the terminal's pre-arranged commercial pickup area. You collect your bags, message the chauffeur and walk out to the marked commercial zone; the car pulls up. With the optional meet and greet (planning figure $25–35), the chauffeur waits inside the arrivals hall with a name board and walks you out. Every airport pickup is flight-tracked, with 60 minutes of included waiting from actual landing for international flights and 30 minutes for Canadian and US flights, then 15-minute blocks. The layouts for each terminal are on our Pearson Terminal 1 and Pearson Terminal 3 pages.
Timing a VIA or GO connection at Union
Many travellers asking how to get from Toronto airport to Union Station are catching a train. Build your buffer like this: customs and baggage at Pearson take 30–75 minutes for international arrivals; the car ride is 25–45 minutes off-peak and up to 75 in rush hour; UP is 28 minutes plus the wait for the next train and the walk to its platform. At Union, VIA's boarding generally closes before departure, so arrive at the station at least 30 minutes early for a VIA train, more with checked baggage; confirm the current rule on VIA Rail. For GO trains, check platforms and times on GO Transit. If the gap is under two and a half hours after an international landing, a car booked to the Front Street doors removes the variables you can control.
Rush hour, events and road closures near Union
Front Street, Bay Street and York Street around Union are among the busiest blocks in the city. On weekday evenings, Blue Jays home games at the Rogers Centre, Leafs and Raptors games at Scotiabank Arena, and concerts at either venue, the last kilometre to Union can take as long as the highway. The chauffeur approaches from the Gardiner at York Street or Bay Street depending on closures, and when Front Street is blocked the dispatch team sends you an alternative legal pickup point before you leave the concourse. Planned construction and closures are listed on 511 Ontario. UP Express is unaffected by road traffic, which is one real advantage of the train on event nights.
TTC and other ways between Pearson and Union
The TTC is the lowest-cost way between Pearson and Union but it is not quick. The 900 Airport Express bus runs from Terminal 1 and Terminal 3 to Kipling station, where you take Line 2 east, change at St. George or Bloor-Yonge to Line 1, and ride to Union. Expect 60–90 minutes on a single TTC fare. Overnight, the 300A and 334A buses provide service when the subway is closed. Full details are on the TTC airport page. Taxis and rideshare from Pearson also go to Union; the airport's taxi stand charges a flat zone rate and rideshare prices move with demand. Our limo vs Uber vs taxi vs UP Express guide compares them all.
Cost per person: when the car catches up with the train
A quick comparison using the standard UP adult fare and our sedan and SUV planning figures:
| Party | UP Express (standard adult fare) | Private car, all-in + HST |
|---|---|---|
| 1 adult | $12.35 | Sedan $130–160 |
| 2 adults | $24.70 | Sedan $130–160 |
| 3 adults | $37.05 | Sedan $130–160 |
| 2 adults + 2 children (12 and under) | $24.70 | SUV or van $160–205 |
| 5 adults | $61.75 | SUV or van $160–205 |
The train is cheaper in every row, sometimes by a lot. The car's value is in the door-to-door part: no Terminal Link, no platform walk with luggage, no second trip from Union to where you are really going, and a guaranteed vehicle at any hour.
Luggage and vehicle choice
A sedan takes three passengers and three checked bags; an executive SUV or luxury van takes six and six; a Sprinter takes fourteen with luggage. Ski bags, golf clubs and instrument cases should be mentioned at booking so we send the right vehicle. On the train you carry everything yourself, including up and down between the UP platform and the station concourse, where there are escalators and elevators but also crowds at peak times. Child seats are available on request in our cars; add them at booking and the chauffeur fits them before pickup. See child car seat transfers for the options.
Late-night and early-morning trips
UP Express has a first and a last train each day; check the times on the operator's site. Outside those hours, and in the very early morning before the first trains are frequent, a car is the only direct option between Pearson and Union apart from a taxi. Red-eye arrivals from Vancouver or Calgary and early transatlantic landings are routine for our dispatch desk, which runs 24/7. The chauffeur is already at the airport when the flight lands, and the fixed fare is the same at 5 a.m. as at noon. For a 6 a.m. departure from Union by car, a 4 a.m. pickup is not unusual; the engine suggests a time based on your flight.
Booking, changes and cancellation
Book in the reservation engine: enter your flight, choose "Union Station" or your exact downtown address, pick the vehicle and confirm the fixed fare. For departures, enter the train you are arriving on in the notes so dispatch can track it. Changes made more than 72 hours before pickup are free. After that, the sitewide terms apply: 72 hours or less before pickup, 10 %; 48 hours or less, 50 %; 24 hours or less or a no-show, 100 %, measured from the scheduled pickup. A late flight or late train is not a no-show. For regular company travel through Union, corporate car service offers monthly invoicing.
Beyond Union: where the trip goes next
Union Station is often a stepping stone. From here, the Union Station Bus Terminal at 81 Bay Street handles GO buses and intercity coaches, and Billy Bishop airport is a short drive or a free airport shuttle away; our Pearson to Billy Bishop page covers connections between the two airports. If your hotel is elsewhere in the core, the Pearson to downtown Toronto guide has timings by neighbourhood. For VIA trips that end at Niagara Falls, Kingston or Ottawa and need a car at the far end, we meet those trains too.
