Metrolinx to boost GO train service before and after FIFA matches in Toronto

CP24’s Courtney Heels speaks with city heritage manager Michael Seaman at Nathan Phillips Square where the city has installed a soccer pitch.

Metrolinx says it will be boosting GO train service on the Lakeshore West line during FIFA World Cup matches in anticipation of a surge in riders.

Before and after Toronto matches, Metrolinx says it will operate “up to six trains” per hour between Exhibition GO, the closest station to Toronto Stadium, and Union Station.

The provincial transit agency previously announced that it will provide frequent 15-minute service throughout most of the day on both the Lakeshore West and Lakeshore East starting on June 10.

The TTC said Monday that plans to bolster service during World Cup matches were put to the test over the weekend.

“With 30 days until kickoff, preparation has moved from planning to practice. Service delivery, emergency response time, crowd management, and coordination both internally and with external partner agencies were all put through their paces during the Toronto FC match at BMO Field,” the TTC said in a news release.

“With 45,000 people attending that match and nearly 50,000 at Rogers Centre for the Toronto Blue Jays game on Saturday afternoon, it was the right time to put real-world scenario management to the test.”

According to the TTC, service was added for the TFC match on “critical routes,” including Lines 1 and 2, the 509 Harbourfront streetcar and the 511 Bathurst streetcar, routes that will serve Toronto Stadium and FIFA Fan Fest areas.

“A total of 19 subway trains were added and strategically staged for match end, in addition to 13 streetcars on the 509 and 511 routes, which served Exhibition Loop every five minutes on Saturday,” the TTC noted.

“Also, the 504 King corridor will have frequent five-minute service from now through the tournament.”

‘Dream of a lifetime’

With one month to go until the event, Torontonians say they are excited to see the energy the tournament will bring to the city.

At Nathan Phillips Square, a mini pitch has been constructed and the countdown clock is ticking down the days, hours, and minutes until the first match at Toronto Stadium on June 12.

“As a fan, I’m just excited to see how many people are coming to the city,” one Torontonian told CP24 outside city hall on Tuesday morning.

“I think it is just an exciting time. It is kind of like the Olympics where you get so many different people from so many different countries. I think it is just going to be like one big party.”

Business and hotels are preparing for an influx of visitors for the tournament, which runs from June 11 to July 19.

Toronto will host six matches on June 12, June 17, June 20, June 23, June 26, and July 2.

Michael Seaman, the program manager of heritage planning for the City of Toronto, said hosting the World Cup in Toronto is “the dream of a lifetime.”

“I came from England as a kid and came here with a love of football,” he said, adding that he has been looking forward to this event since the city launched its joint bid with the U.S. and Mexico in 2018.

“This is the city of many cultures and I think every single team here is going to have a home base here in Toronto, which is fantastic. And no other city I think can do that.”

For fans who weren’t able to snatch up coveted tickets to the matches in Toronto, the city is hosting its official FIFA Fan Festival at The Bentway in Toronto’s Fort York neighbourhood.

Free general admission tickets were put on sale earlier this month and sold out within hours. The city has promised to release more in the coming weeks.

“The enthusiasm reflects the excitement building as Toronto gets ready to welcome the world for the FIFA World Cup 2026 and celebrate our ‘World in a City’ spirit,” Sharon Bollenbach, the executive director of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Toronto Secretariat, said on May 6.

“We expect FIFA Fan Festival Toronto to remain a popular event throughout the tournament.”

With files from CP24’s Courtney Heels