UP Train Toronto: Pearson to Union Station

The UP train in Toronto is the rail link between Pearson Airport and downtown. This guide follows the trip from the arrivals hall to Union Station, with the fare, the hours and the other ways in if the train does not suit you.

Step 1: Check the UP train in Toronto against your landing time

The UP train in Toronto runs every 15 minutes, and the trip from Pearson to Union Station takes 28 minutes. Its official name is the UP Express. According to UP Express, the first train leaves Pearson at 5:27 a.m. on weekdays and the last at 12:54 a.m. On weekends and holidays the first train leaves at 6:24 a.m.

Going the other way, UP Express lists the first train from Union Station at 4:55 a.m. on weekdays and 6:00 a.m. on weekends and holidays. The last train leaves Union at 1:00 a.m. The page says UP Express can change its schedule without notice, so check the live departures before you leave.

The train makes five stops. Here are the stops and the ride time from Union Station, as UP Express lists them.

The UP Express is not for everyone. If your plane lands after about midnight, you may miss the last train. Skip ahead to Step 5 for the night options.

Key Takeaway If your flight lands after 12:54 a.m., the UP train will not be running from Pearson, so plan a bus, a taxi or a ride app instead.

Step 2: Choose and pay for your UP Express ticket

An adult one-way ticket costs CA$9.25 with PRESTO and CA$12.35 at the standard fare. PRESTO is the payment card used on Toronto transit. UP Express lists these prices, and children 12 and under ride free.

In October 2026, a standard adult one-way UP Express ticket from Pearson to Union Station cost $12.35 (Canadian dollars), according to the 2026 Toronto Travel Cost Study.

Other fares also depend on who is riding.

The youth price needs a valid Canadian school or government ID. The group pass is for people travelling together between Pearson and the downtown stops. UP Express says that since 26 October 2026 you can buy it at station ticket machines and online.

You have three ways to pay with PRESTO or a card, as UP Express explains:

1. Use a PRESTO card. A plastic card costs CA$4 at a customer service outlet, Shoppers Drug Mart or a machine.
2. Add PRESTO to Apple Wallet or Google Wallet and tap your phone or watch.
3. Use a debit or credit card, including one on your phone. This only gives the one-way adult fare.

Tap off with the same card or phone you tapped on with, or you may be charged for a second trip. A PRESTO card bought in person can take up to 24 hours to show in your PRESTO account, so a visitor with a bank card often skips it.

Pro Tip Travelling with two friends? The group pass for three costs CA$25.00 one way, which is CA$8.33 each, less than the CA$9.25 PRESTO fare.

Step 3: Find the UP Express station in Terminal 1

The UP Express station is in Terminal 1 at Pearson, next to the Terminal Link train. UP Express says there is no UP Express stop at Terminal 3, so Terminal 3 passengers use the Terminal Link first.

From Terminal 3, ride the Terminal Link to Terminal 1 and follow the signs for the UP Express. Pearson describes the Terminal Link as free, running around the clock, with a trip between stations of about two to eight minutes, and its directions point to "Train to City" signs. That comes from Pearson's own pages as shown in search results, because the airport site blocks automated reading, so trust the airport signs on the day.

At Pearson Station, the service counter is on the UP Express platform. Allow a few extra minutes for the walk to the platform on top of the 28-minute ride.

Step 4: Ride to Union Station and walk to the CN Tower

Union Station is the last stop on the UP Express, and the CN Tower is a short walk from it. The Tower's own getting here page says the walk goes west along Bremner Boulevard or through the SkyWalk, and that signs inside the station point the way. The same page says TTC, GO Transit and UP Express all end at Union Station.

The UP Express stop is inside the station's interior Skywalk walkway, and floor signs show where to stand. UP Express says the TTC and GO lines are a short transfer away. For a subway ride to your hotel, the TTC subway map explains the lines and the fare. If you are heading on by rail, Union Station is where you start, as in the guide to the Toronto to Montreal train.

The CN Tower is the natural first stop if you have a few hours before your hotel check-in. A CN Tower ticket for the Main and Lower Observation Levels is from €34 per person. The Tower itself runs this ticket, and the listing is rated 4.85 out of 5 from 60 reviews. You can cancel free up to 24 hours ahead, and the ticket includes the glass floor. The visit takes 1.5 hours, and you enter at the Tower, 290 Bremner Boulevard. The listing gives no group size, and fast-track entry, food and the extra "The Top" elevator are not included. Check where the link goes. It opens a GetYourGuide listing, and the Tower's own ticket page says "Do not buy from any source other than CN Tower." The Tower's own page lists a timed adult ticket at CA$47 before tax, and says tickets can be bought up to 30 days ahead on the CN Tower's ticket page. The Tower's terms treat its own tickets as final sale, so read the cancellation terms of whichever ticket you buy.

Ripley's Aquarium of Canada stands next to the Tower, from €30 per person. Ripley's runs it, and the listing is rated 4.62 out of 5 from 2,358 reviews. You can cancel free up to 24 hours ahead, and it includes admission, the skip-the-ticket line, nine galleries and the stingray touch pools. Your ticket is valid for flexible entry on the date you book, and the listing gives no duration. It mentions a small group option but no group size, and food and drink are not included. The listing suggests going before 11 a.m. or after 3 p.m. to avoid the busiest hours.

With a day to spare and a wish for a loop past many sights, a hop-on hop-off bus ticket is from €45 per person. City Sightseeing Worldwide runs this 24 or 48-hour ticket, rated 4.28 out of 5 from 3,058 reviews. It allows free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead and has a live English guide or an audio guide in nine languages. It starts at Sankofa Square on Dundas Street East, and the listing gives no group size. Admission to sights, food, tips and hotel pick-up are not included.

The rating boxes on the cards round these scores to one decimal, so a box can read a tenth lower than the number here.

Tour or on your own? Reach downtown on your own, because the UP train is quick, and none of these listings is a ride into the city. At the CN Tower you can also go alone, since the Tower sells its own timed ticket at CA$47 before tax. Use the GetYourGuide ticket only if you want free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead. Ripley's ticket is worth buying ahead, because the listing says it skips the ticket line. The bus suits a first day of many sights, and a full loop takes 2 hours to 2 hours 15 minutes. If you only plan the Tower and the aquarium, skip the bus and walk.

The best way into a big city is the one that runs on a timetable you can trust.

Step 5: Pick another way if the UP train does not fit

If the UP Express does not fit your flight or your bags, the other options are the TTC buses, a taxi, a ride app, a rental car or a shared transfer. The right one depends on the hour, your group and where you are staying.

TTC buses. The 900 Airport Express runs from Kipling Station on Line 2 to Pearson, stopping at Terminal 1 and Terminal 3. The TTC says it runs about 5:30 a.m. to 2 a.m. from Monday to Saturday and about 8:15 a.m. to 2:15 a.m. on Sundays, and that the trip takes about 20 to 25 minutes. The TTC's airport page says the trip from downtown takes 45 minutes on a single fare, and an adult fare is CA$3.30 with PRESTO or a tapped card. The 952 Lawrence West is a peak express from Lawrence Station, about 6 to 9 a.m. and 3 to 7 p.m. on weekdays, and takes about 75 minutes. The 300A night bus runs along Bloor Street and Danforth Avenue about 2 a.m. to 5 a.m. every day. The TTC page does not give a fare or a wait for the 300A.

Taxi. A Toronto taxi cab is the easiest choice after midnight or with heavy bags. Pearson says licensed taxis and limos charge flat rates to Toronto destinations, with no surge pricing. That is from a search result, because Pearson's page blocks automated reading. No downtown dollar amount appears on the pages we could read, so ask at the Ground Transport Services desk on the Arrivals level before you get in.

Ride apps. Uber says a standard pickup at Terminal 1 is on the Ground Level at Door Q, and at Terminal 3 on the Arrivals Level in Zone 3. Follow the "Ride App Pickup" signs. Pearson has moved ride-app zones before, so follow the exact spot the app gives you.

Rental car. A car suits a trip beyond the city, such as Niagara, because parking near downtown sights is paid. For example, all parking around the CN Tower is paid.

A shared transfer to Niagara. Not going downtown? A Pearson to Niagara Falls transfer runs from €60 per person. Rated 4.4 from 215 reviews, it allows free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead. Niagara Airbus runs it as a shared, door-to-door ride, with a luggage allowance of one suitcase and two carry-ons. You meet at the ground transportation desk, on the ground transportation level at Area P in Terminal 1, or on the arrivals level beside Door C in Terminal 3. The Niagara Falls guide covers what to do when you get there.

The Best Travel Destinations' count of GetYourGuide listings for Toronto in October 2026 found 6 with a Toronto airport in the title, such as lounge passes, transfers and a Niagara tour that starts at Pearson. None of them is a ride into the city, so the train, bus or taxi is how you get downtown.

Landing late. The last UP train leaves Pearson at 12:54 a.m., and the 300A night bus starts about 2 a.m. A bed at the airport can solve a late landing or an early flight. Sheraton Gateway Hotel Toronto Airport is joined to Terminal 3 and linked to Terminal 1. Embassy Suites by Hilton Toronto Airport is less than 3 km from Pearson and has a free shuttle. For a stay downtown, see where to stay in Toronto.