Toronto readies rail service to airport

Toronto's Union Pearson Express is set to launch June 6, Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne announced on Wednesday.

Expected to carry 2.35 million passengers a year by 2018, the passenger-rail service will provide a reliable transit connection between Toronto Pearson International Airport and the city's downtown area, Ontario government officials said in a press release.

The trip will take about 25 minutes, with trains departing every 15 minutes, they said.

"[Union Pearson] Express is a key part of the Metrolinx regional transportation plan for the greater Hamilton and Toronto area, and is a concrete symbol of the progress we are making to relieve gridlock," said Bruce McCuaig, president and chief executive officer of Metrolinx. "It will offer travelers another option to get to and from Toronto Pearson, with fast, frequent and reliable service they can count on"

Union Pearson Express is a part of Ontario's plan to invest more than $130 billion (in Canadian dollars) in public infrastructure over the next decade. It's also one of $16 billion worth of transit-related projects in the greater Toronto and Hamilton area.