hjohnson

Eh? The Canada Line out to the airport is great. 5 minute walk from my condo, 20 minutes on the train, and I'm at the airport, just next to the SE checkin desk. All of this, and it only costs me ~$3.50 (assuming weekday travel). Yeah, the $5 riser is annoying on leaving, but I keep fare saver tickets in my wallet just for this.

Anyhow, it's quick, efficient, and cheap. Plus, my car gets to live safely in its parking stall in the basement rather than subjected to the horrors of the airport.

Railroad flyer

I have ridden most transits from an airport to city centres and some are very good and others are terrible. But personally what makes them really good is when they are connected in such a way that enables you to go elsewhere with ease apart from the downtown core!

Before everyone takes the article and editorial and gets a bit excited they should sit down and take a deep breath and remember this is really just a small step in the right direction.

ARL link from Pearson and union is going to be a short spur line that links into the Georgetown line and from there the trains run into union.

It won't be the the big usual GO locos and bi-level coaches but a smaller quieter and cleaner DMUs similar to the Sonoma Smart built by Nippon Sharyo.

With the intended changes to the GO service such as all day trains on all routes and the increased service on LSE and LSW, the ARL will become a better option but unless this happens its really going to be a bit pointless.

I think it is also important to remember the vancouver line was built owned and operated by SNC (IRCC) where as Pearson ARL is under the control of Metrolinx so there is a lot more political interference!

ridefar

It is dirty, crowded, with poor seating in terms of both availability and quality and no place to put luggage. And it stops about 5000 times between the airport and downtown--making it no faster than a taxi. It may be cheap and convenient, but it is not great.

Shareholder

High speed, non-stop services between YVR, YUL or YYZ and their respective city centres would be financially unviable (as Metrolinx will find out after the first year of the Pearson link) and in the end can only make it if they are integrated into the main rapid transit system (and thus not be non-stop nor high speed). The nature and number of visitors to Toronto is nowhere near that of tourists coming to London, Paris, Hong Kong or other such cities, so the real need to service local residents requires a widespread network which this will not be.

firequall

YOW is served by the 97 bus, which, once off the Airport Pwky, is served entirely on the transitway to the downtown core. Total time is about 20-30 minutes with 15 minute frequencies.

mkjr

agreed...when YYC and YVR EVEN remotely start to get as big as HKG or other cities with more direct routes, let us start talking both both cities are TINY fish globally and what YVR has is remarkable for a city that size. but for the olympics, THEY HAVE NOTHING!!

global happy traveller

Not according to those whom thinks YYZ is the center of the universe

global happy traveller

I thought this might be of interest to you all travelling to/from YYZ.

http://www.upexpress.com/en/default.aspx

Mods - feel free to move it if you think it is more suitable for the Toronto thread as opposed to Air Canada Aeroplan. Thanks!

Neil791

"Taking to the tracks in time for the Pan Am and Parapan Am Games in summer 2015"

At least we're not as bad as the morons in YVR who waited 20+ yrs after a major international event (Expo 86) to expand their light rail service to the airport so 3 more years is a bargain!

Now we'll see if the fares are increased if you're picking up the train from YYZ as opposed to getting on at Union Stn?!?

yscleo

At least this should be something that AC won't be able to add scamcharges to the ticket price.

Altaflyer

I wouldn't be so quick to pronounce who the morons are!! The Canada Line was built for the Olympics which is a bit more high profile than the Pan Am Games I should think! The line works wonderfully well and is fully integrated into the regional transportation system. From what I hear of the Pearson line it is likely to be grotesquely overpriced, not integrated and thus likely a flop!

Neil791

Considering it took 24 yrs and the Olympics to make what residents and visitors had been screaming about not having, yes I would consider the politicians and TransLink a bunch of morons! One of the multitude of reasons why I left BC in the first place, but the fact of the matter remains that the transit system in BC is a joke, its grotesquely overpriced, and the fact that taking the train from YVR to downtown is subject to a scamcharge says it all!

At the end of the day if you want an 'express' option you're no doubt going to pay more for this convenience, otherwise there is the TTC which from my front door in downtown YYZ to T1 can be done for $3 and although its not an express run its still convenient if you plan ahead.

to the MORONS in YVR who took 24 yrs to build a transit link to the INT'L airport and then have the nerve to bash YYZ

Jagboi

Buy a prepaid book of transit tickets from one of the outlets in the airport ( 7-11 or Pharmasave) and you don't pay the surcharge. I keep a ticket in my wallet for when I go through YVR and it works well.

I'd much rather take the Canada line to downtown than a cab and get stuck in downtown traffic.

yscleo

You have the nerve to bash those not at the centre of the universe.

Oh, you ARE from the centre of the universe.^ You're Ok.

AA_EXP09

How's your mayor doing?
Also our provincial government is a bit better.
With Amtrak Smartfares it's actually possible to get to SEA for <$50 ai which often results in a cheaper ticket and is just over just Canadian government taxes.
US government taxes don't apply on award tickets ^