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| - I've watched with interest the planning, development and launch of the UP Express but today was the first time I took it from downtown to the airport, and I have to say, I was impressed.
The train was easy to find (just enter Union Station right across from the Royal York hotel) and when I got to the platform, a lady said she could sell me a ticket. The train was leaving in three minutes so I didn't have a chance to look around for machines but I'm assuming there are some. It would seem inefficient to have a person selling all the tickets.
Even at $12 it's much cheaper than a cab but compared to the 192 Airport Rocket bus leaving from the Kipling subway station, it's a little more expensive because that is only $3.25.
The train was clean, had plenty of space for luggage, had outlets and wifi and nice air conditioning. The lady who checked my ticket was nice.
I was staying at a hotel on Dundas St and taking the bus and the subway took me just under an hour from the bus stop at the airport until I walked into my hotel. Going back, it took me 53 minutes from the time I left my hotel until the time I arrived at Terminal 3. So time wise, it's not much different. You do need to take a little shuttle train from where the UP Express stops if you're going to Terminal 3 but that takes a couple of minutes only.
If I had a lot of luggage, I would definitely take this route. If I just have a backpack/carry on and it's not rush hour, I'd still probably save some $$$ and take the Airport Rocket bus and the subway.
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