Tuesday, August 05, 2008

GO Train Toronto Union Station to Port Credit Mississauga and Back

Schedule Update Effective June 29, 2013
GO Union to Port Credit (Lakeshore West line)  every 30 minutes.

See GO Transit for details.


The easiest way to get from Toronto Union Station to Port Credit, especially if you do not know this area of Mississauga, may be by GO train. Port Credit parking can be a challenge, especially during summer festivals -- the Waterfront Festival, Port Credit in-water Boat Show, Canada Day, or the South Side Shuffle (jazz festival), etc.

Or maybe you're planning a Port Credit pub crawl along Lakeshore Road West; Using the GO train means you don't have to worry about a designated driver.

Port Credit GO Station
Here's the station in Port Credit. Trains run from Union Station in Toronto from 6 a.m. until quarter to one in the morning. (Use the Lakeshore West GO train and Bus schedule).

For example, on a Friday night, you could take the GO train at Union at 5:43 p.m., or 6:03, 6:43. or at 7:42 (trains leave Union hourly after the quarter to seven train.) and arrive in Port Credit station in about 25 minutes. The fare each way for an adult is $4.55 as of today's date. Return is $9.10.

On Saturday, Sunday or Holidays, GO trains leave Union hourly, at 43 minutes past the hour (roughly quarter to the hour).

Maybe you just want to stroll along the Port Credit section of the Waterfront Trail. The picture below shows what you see when you come out of the Port Credit GO station on Queen Street East (ie south side), looking down Helene Street North -- it's only a short walk to Lake Ontario (road end) and the Waterfront Trail.

View from south side Port Credit GO station
This intersection is about one block west of Hurontario (Highway 10) and three short blocks north of Lakeshore Road East (Highway 2).

If you don't know Port Credit, the easiest way to go into the village is down Helene Street to Lakeshore. All the pubs, restaurants, festival venues, etc., are along Lakeshore, or can be seen from Lakeshore.

The Credit River and the lighthouse are to the right along Lakeshore, about 4 blocks; Ten Restaurant and Wine Bar is to the left one block along Lakeshore, on the south side.

Using the Friday night pub crawl as an example, you can catch the GO train at Port Credit and head back to Union Station at 9:44 p.m., 10:44 p.m., and 11:44 p.m. (quarter to midnight; last train) (see GO schedule Port Credit).

But if you miss the last train into Union, you can take the Mississauga Transit (23 East) bus to Long Branch, then take the TTC from Long Branch to wherever you need to go in Toronto. The 23 East Lakeshore bus stops at Port Credit GO station as well as along Lakeshore Road East, and goes to Long Branch every 15-25 minutes (depending on weekday or weekend schedule) until roughly 1 a.m. Mind you, this will take a lot longer than the GO train, and cost more (two fares - Mississauga Transit and TTC).

Much faster to hop in a cab in Port Credit, and go to Long Branch -- it's about $15, depending on fare increases, and maybe 10 minutes driving time.

Here's a googlemap to help sort it all out: View Larger Map

I put the link in to the map page - I hope it works all right. When I just searched Port Credit GO station in googlemaps, it gave the view of all southern GTA. In the picture above, the GO station is 'B' and the lighthouse is 'C'.

TIP To search this blog for more Port Credit, Lakeshore, or GO transit posts, use the more accurate and satisfying google search box (not the 'search labels blogger feature, which misses most searches).

UPDATE March 14 2009
GO Transit increased fares by $.25 (25 cents) per ticket effective today.
GO Transit site will show correct fares.

Update New Year's Eve December 31, 2009
GO Transit Free tonight - see GO for information