Plans to link Pearson International Airport and Union Station in Toronto by rail are moving forward, City of Mississauga councillors heard Wednesday. A staff report distributed to councillors at General Committee said Metrolinx and Queen's Park, who are responsible for the project, will have it in place in time for the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto. The rail line will connect Union Station with the airport using the Georgetown GO rail corridor.
Mayor Hazel McCallion said plans to build a line have been in the works for 20 to 25 years and that she's sat on three different task forces exploring the issue. She said it's her understanding that, eventually, the link will allow passengers at the Toronto station to check their luggage there, receive a boarding pass and then get on a train to the airport. "So this is good news that it's moving (forward) and really is going to be built," said McCallion. Ward 5 Councillor Bonnie Crombie said the rail link is "long overdue." She noted the cost to take the train will be about $20 and the trains will run every 15 minutes or so. "Most major cities have a rail link from their downtown core to their airports, so this puts Toronto and Mississauga on an international scale and makes us competitive for international business travellers," said Crombie. However, not all councillors gushed at the news. Ward 8's Katie Mahoney said, as a resident of Mississauga, the rail link will be of little benefit to her. "I'll never see the inside of that train," she said. "I live in Erin Mills ... so why would I go to downtown Toronto to climb on a train ... to go to the airport." >[email protected]
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