Ontario is one of the most preferred destinations among Indian students to travel and move to for their higher studies due to plenty of opportunities available for students to explore and make their careers. This makes it absolutely important to know more about transit in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) which will make your travel a breeze.
GTA transit can be divided into Subways, Streetcars, local buses, and Go trains
The subways system is operated and controlled by TTC ( Toronto Transport Commission)
The subway system has been divided into four different lines connecting different parts of the city:-
Line 1(Yonge – University) which is one of the busiest and most used lines across the Toronto region. This line travels through the heart of Toronto in a U shape and connects Vaughan Metropolitan Center to Finch. One of the most important stations is Union which provides connectivity to Go trains as well as streetcar
Line 2 (Bloor- Danforth) Connects Kennedy to Kipling. If you are planning to travel to Pearson international airport, from Scarborough hop on to Line 2 and take the train towards Kipling. Take bus number 900 ( airport express) from Kipling station to travel to Pearson international airport
Line 3 (Scarborough) is nothing but the extension of line 2 that connects further to the Scarborough. Students traveling to centennial college can take this line which can save a lot of time
Line 4 ( Sheppard) This line is the shortest of the four with only 4 station stops. It connects Sheppard Yonge station from line1 to don mills and is also termed as Sheppard line
Go Trains – Go trains are alternative to the subway as they have better reach, and reliability as they connect to different cities. Fares for GO trains are higher than normal subway fares as it provides connectivity across cities. Union is one of the most important stations from where you can get your train to every major location and city. To know more about the schedule click TTC.ca
Payment, fares, and Monthly passes
To pay for subway, streetcar, local buses and GO trains all you need is a Presto card. A Presto card is a physical plastic card that can be purchased from a fare vending machine at all subway stations or from shoppers at drug marts. Presto cards help you tap in and out at subway stations without any hassle. Besides their usability, presto card cards come with many advantages as one can easily create an account, load money, and monthly and yearly passes. If the card gets lost or stolen it even gives you an opportunity to retrieve your balance and save your loaded passes. Presto also offers discounted fares for seniors, students, and children, making public transit more affordable for these groups. Additionally, the system supports fare programs such as the TTC’s two-hour transfer, allowing passengers to hop on and off different vehicles within a two-hour window without incurring additional charges. To learn more about setting up an account and fares, visit PRESTO on the TTC – Learn About. Fares on streetcars and buses can be paid in cash or one-way, two way or daily presto tickets can be purchased to travel across GTA.
Sources: PRESTO on the TTC – Learn About, System Map, TTC.ca
Disclaimer: The information has been gathered as accurately as possible at the time of writing. Please check the government’s official website and digital channels for the most accurate and up-to-date information.
