I find myself excited that the new UP Express – the express train from Union Station in downtown Toronto to Pearson Airport – started rolling today, even though, as someone who lives at the far west side of the amalgamated Toronto, it isn’t a very practical option for me personally.

I recall visiting Chicago a number of years ago, disembarking at O’Hare and hopping on a train that took us right to the Loop, and thinking it would be great to have something like that in Toronto. Back when we were living in our old place in Little Portugal, the route options were a topic of hot debate, and having a connection from downtown to the airport seemed like a dream.

The cost for the 25 minute ride is $27.50 (or $19 with a Presto card). That seemed high to me when I first heard it, but compared to a cab (or Uber) ride that distance, it’s reasonable, particularly since trains run every 15 minutes and the trip is so quick.

The train started running early this morning, but as I write this post in at close to 11:00 AM, various mucky-mucks are preparing for a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Union Station. I’ve heard some criticisms of the new train, including that it runs on diesel rather than electric but overall, I think having a link form the airport to downtown is great for Toronto.