Ontario reverses changes to Toronto's UP Express after outpouring of complaints
The Province of Ontario has decided to renege schedule amendments it had planned for Toronto's UP Express train the very same day they were announced, thanks to a flurry of complaints from riders
The changes would have seen every second train on the line travel non-stop between Union Station and Pearson Airport, with an increase in GO Train service (on the Kitchener route specifically) making up for the lost stops at Weston and Bloor.
The intention was to provide those using the line to travel to and from the airport — the original reason it was built — "a more direct and convenient option for airport transfers seven days a week," the province wrote amid its release on the subject, which was mostly to announce a new GO expansion that will add over 300 more train trips per week in the GTA.
But, commuters who board the UP regularly from those two middle stops were disgruntled with the move, to say the least, arguing that it was a clear reduction when schedules should be ramped up, if anything.
Cmon Ford, really ? This is terrible service coming into summer months. Less service to Bloor & Weston. These are only 2 stops between Union & Pearson. A huge blow to the UP line!
— Matt Young (@ACav8r) April 16, 2024
Ontario Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria stated on X Tuesday evening that the government had "heard riders' concerns about servicing Weston and Bloor stations along the UP Express line."
"I've directed Metrolinx to not proceed with these changes," he wrote.
While some are happy with the reversal, others seem to feel that it was only a select few who had an issue with the change, and pointed out that the Kitchener GO covers both stops, and will now be running more frequently.
Others still are asking for leaders to listen to constituents in other, more important matters, such as regarding the much-opposed spa coming to Ontario Place during its revitalization, the province's deteriorating public healthcare sector, the forthcoming (and contentious) Highway 413, and more.
The people "outraged" are the same people clogging up the AIRPORT EXPRESS train.
— Ben (@DJBenToronto) April 15, 2024
Good move from Metrolinx here. There are other options available.
The other improvements announced as part of the GO expansion, which will hopefully yield few complaints, come into effect on April 28, 2024.
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