Pearson Station: The Future of the World’s Most Connected Airport Starts Here

Pearson Is Already Global

Toronto Pearson International Airport is Canada’s largest and most globally connected airport. It offers:

• Non-stop flights to over 180 destinations worldwide

• Access to 72% of the global economy

• The second-largest employment zone in Canada, with over 300,000 jobs

Yet despite all this, 96% of the workforce still drives to work. For an airport this international, its ground connections remain local at best.

Pearson Is Advocating for a Regional Transit Centre

Pearson itself is pushing to change that.

In partnership with Metrolinx and local municipalities, the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) is actively advocating for a multi-modal Pearson Regional Transit Centre (PRTC) to serve as:

• A union station for the west GTA

• A connector for GO Transit, UP Express, TTC, MiWay, Brampton Transit

• A future high-speed rail hub

The plan, backed by the GTAA, would transform the airport into a rail-first urban gateway, not just for flyers—but for workers, residents, and cities across the region.

A Network Like No Other

GTA Weekly proposes fully realizing Pearson Station with five integrated transit systems:

1. High-Speed Rail (HSR)

   • Direct link to Union Station

   • Long-distance service East to Quebec City via Peterborough, Ottawa and Montreal

   • Long-distance service West to Windsor via Guelph, Kitchener-Waterloo, London and Chatham

2. Eglinton Crosstown West LRT (TTC Line 5)

   • Underground rapid transit to Midtown Toronto via TTC’s line 5

3. Finch West LRT (TTC Line 6)

   • Ties in northwest Toronto to the airport via TTC’s Line 6 Finch West

4. Mississauga–Pearson LRT

   • GTA Weekly Proposed LRT from Square One to Pearson Airport

5. Brampton-Pearson LRT 

   • GTA Weekly Proposed LRT from downtown Brampton to the airport

This would make Pearson the only airport in North America with HSR + LRT + Regional Rail + Underground Rapid Transit.

World-Class Comparison

Here’s how Pearson would stack up globally:

Pearson wouldn’t just catch up—it would lead.

Local Impact, Global Opportunity

With this transit overhaul, Pearson Station would:

• Connect Peel (Mississauga & Brampton) directly to Toronto, Ottawa and beyond

• Support future housing growth across multiple cities

• Power up the Pearson Employment Zone—a GDP generator bigger than many cities

• Make air travel and daily commuting converge seamlessly

This isn’t just an airport plan.
It’s a blueprint for regional transformation.

Final Word: From Tarmac to Transit Titan

“We talk about building globally competitive cities. But a globally competitive city needs a globally connected airport—on the ground, not just in the air.”

Toronto Pearson already connects the world.
Let’s now connect the region—with bold, smart, rail-first transit that redefines how Ontario moves.

Let’s build Pearson Station.
Let’s make it the most connected airport on Earth.

Next Stop is GTA Weekly’s weekly Sunday spotlight on the future of transit in the Greater Toronto Area. From subways to LRTs to GO expansions, we dig into the projects shaping how we move.