UP Express

A mobile-first booking experience designed to deliver a seamless, premium journey between downtown Toronto and the airport.

Union Pearson Express launched as North America’s first dedicated air-rail link, connecting Union Station and Toronto Pearson International Airport.

Timed to support the influx of visitors for the 2015 Pan American Games, the service positioned itself as a premium, hospitality-led alternative to traditional transit.

Translate a hospitality-driven brand into a digital experience by:

• Creating a fast, intuitive ticket booking flow for travellers on the move
• Delivering a fully mobile, ticketless journey
• Extending a premium, guest-first mindset into digital touchpoints
• Supporting both local commuters and international visitors with varying needs

The goal was to make booking and riding the train feel effortless from the first interaction.

The experience needed to balance speed with clarity:

• Travellers often booking in time-sensitive, high-stress contexts
• Limited familiarity with stations, routes, and local transit systems
• Requirement for simple, reliable ticket purchase and validation
• Maintaining a distinct, premium brand within a utilitarian category

Every interaction needed to reduce friction without sacrificing confidence.

Focused on simplicity, guidance, and consistency:

• Designed a mobile-first interface optimized for quick, on-the-go booking
• Simplified station selection and journey understanding
• Enabled digital ticket delivery via scannable codes for seamless access
• Integrated contextual content to help users navigate stations and the city

The experience mirrored the broader service philosophy, treating users as guests rather than passengers.

Delivered a cohesive digital product aligned with brand and service design:

• Collaborated with Winkreative to ensure consistency across physical and digital touchpoints
• Designed an interface that reflected the warmth and distinctiveness of the brand
• Built responsive layouts that adapted across mobile and desktop
• Supported the evolution from pre-launch information site to full booking platform

Launched alongside the rail service as a core part of the overall experience.

Enabled fast, reliable ticket purchase and mobile access, contributing to a frictionless end-to-end journey.

Supported the broader success of UP Express as a high-quality, city-defining transport service, improving connectivity between downtown Toronto and the airport while setting a new standard for digital transit experiences.