The Ontario government is backtracking on planned changes to UP Express service after the announcement sparked a backlash from Toronto residents.
In a social media post on Tuesday night, Transport Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria said he had ordered Metrolinx not to proceed with the changes, which would have limited stops on the express line to two transit stations.
While the intent was to provide a faster option for people traveling between Union and Pearson, I have heard rider concerns about service from Weston and Bloor stations along the UP Express line.
I have directed Metrolinx not to continue with these changes.
– Prabmeet Sarkaria (@PrabSarkaria) April 16, 2024
“While the intent was to provide a faster option for people traveling between Union and Pearson, I have heard rider concerns about service from the Weston and Bloor stations along the UP Express line,” Sarkaria said in a publication.
The reversal comes after nearly 3,000 people signed a petition to reverse the changes. The petition was created Monday after the Ontario government announced changes to GO Transit and UP Express (UPX) service.
As part of the announcement, the government said one in every two trains on the express route will run nonstop between Union Station and Toronto Pearson International Airport.
The UP Express runs every 15 minutes, which means that under the new service changes, residents of the Weston and Bloor stations will only be able to access the line every 30 minutes.
The government has said the change will be offset by an increase in trains on the Kitchener GO line, which also stops at those two stations. Service will increase to a 30-minute frequency along the line midday and evening between Bramalea GO and Union Stations, and some weekend trips will increase to 10 cars.
Earlier, Sarkaria told reporters that the UP Express was always intended to be a connection between Union Station and Pearson Airport.
“We are seeing an increase in demand from people wanting to get to the airport,” he said at Queen’s Park.
“But I want to assure everyone that the expansion of the Kitchener line will ensure that commuters have those options to travel to Union via those stops every 30 minutes.”
A petition posted on change.org on April 15 argues that the new service affects accessibility to downtown Toronto and will exacerbate “existing overcrowding issues” while reducing convenience, something the organizer said “appealed to many from us to our neighborhoods first.”
“Changes to the UP Express schedule jeopardize the very essence of efficient and accessible public transportation for residents of underserved communities like Weston,” the petition says.
“For many of us, the UP Express is not just a means of transportation but a lifeline: a means to get to downtown Toronto quickly and reliably.”
Concerns include overcrowding during rush hour along the Bloor subway line. It takes about 15 minutes to travel between Weston Station in the city’s west end and Union Station in downtown Toronto on the UP Express; the petition notes that it takes approximately 1.5 hours on the TTC.
Davenport Councilwoman Alejandra Bravo said on social media that one in four airport workers depends on public transportation to get to their workplace.
“Following UPX rate increases for airport workers earlier this year, this change to the UPX schedule for airport workers in Davenport Toronto will make it even more difficult to get to work,” he said.
“These changes will also impact people in our community traveling to and from downtown and Weston. Even with improved GO service, poor scheduling and delays can keep people waiting.”
Before reversing the changes, a Metrolinx spokesperson said commuters in Weston and Bloor would still experience about 15-minute service between UP Express and GO, with about four trains running per hour.
Expanding the number of trains along the Kitchener line would also allow more people to use the province’s One Fare program, which allows free transfers between the TTC and GO Transit lines, making it a more affordable option for some people. .
Metrolinx said overcrowding on UP Express platforms was also a factor.
Sarkaria’s office said the decision not to proceed with the changes on the UP Express will have no impact on the additional service being added on the Kitchener line, which takes effect on April 28.