With the return to regular commuting after the summer break, passengers on GO Transit and UP Express are advised to ensure they pay their fare from now on. Starting Tuesday, there will be stricter penalties for fare evasion, as approved by the Metrolinx board earlier this year.
The updated fine system will impose escalating penalties for repeat offenders who are caught without valid tickets. Here’s how the fines will increase for subsequent violations:
Previously, a first-time offender faced a $35 fine along with a $25 late payment charge if they failed to show a valid ticket to a revenue protection officer on a GO Transit or UP Express vehicle or at a station.
Metrolinx estimates that the revised fines could generate an additional $6.79 to $10.18 million in revenue, assuming 40 to 60 percent of fines are collected. In the last fiscal year, the revenue from fines ranged from $4.48 to 7.87 million.
During the 2025-2026 fiscal year, Metrolinx staff conducted 1,557,243 inspections on GO Transit and UP Express vehicles, with 5.02 percent of inspections revealing passengers without valid fares.
Officials emphasized that a reduction of one percent in fare evasion could lead to a significant revenue increase of $4,276,598.
