For a Union Station Toronto to Hamilton car service, HamiltonLimo.net meets you curbside on Front Street (or at the bus terminal on Bay Street when Front is blocked), tracks your VIA, GO or UP Express train, and includes 15 minutes of waiting. A business sedan to downtown Hamilton is a planning range of $270–330 all-in plus HST, about 68 km.
Union Station Toronto car service: how a pickup actually works
Union is not one station but several sharing a block: VIA Rail's intercity trains, the GO Transit rail concourses, the UP Express to Pearson in the SkyWalk at the west end, and the Union Station Bus Terminal under CIBC Square across Bay Street. The station is also joined to the PATH walkway network and the TTC subway. That is why "meet me at Union" is not enough information for a driver. When you book a Union Station Toronto car service with us, the reservation form asks which train you are on, and dispatch turns that into a specific exit and a specific curb before the chauffeur leaves Hamilton. The drive itself, with traffic by time of day, is covered on our Hamilton to Union Station limo page; this page is about the station end.
Fares from Union Station to Hamilton, Burlington and the airports
One-way planning ranges from Union Station for a business sedan, all-in (chauffeur, vehicle, fuel, any 407 toll, gratuity), HST shown separately:
| From Union Station to | Distance | Drive time | Business sedan (planning range) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Downtown Hamilton / Hamilton GO Centre | about 68 km | 50–75 min | $270–330 |
| Burlington (Aldershot, downtown) | about 55 km | 40–60 min | $225–280 |
| Oakville | about 38 km | 30–50 min | $170–215 |
| Ancaster or Dundas | about 78 km | 55–80 min | $295–365 |
| Stoney Creek | about 72 km | 55–80 min | $280–345 |
| Waterdown | about 70 km | 50–75 min | $275–340 |
| Hamilton airport (YHM) | about 82 km | 60–85 min | $305–375 |
| Toronto Pearson (YYZ) | about 27 km | 25–45 min | $140–175 |
Other vehicles scale from the sedan: a business SUV (a black Tahoe or Yukon for up to 5 passengers and 5 bags) adds about 30 %, a luxury van about 50 % and an executive SUV about 65 %, a first-class sedan is about 2.5 times the figure, a Sprinter about 2.75 times the sedan, and a Jet Sprinter (a VIP lounge Sprinter for up to 7 with captain's chairs and work tables, $650–750 an hour) about 4.65 times. These are planning figures; the reservation engine quotes the fixed fare for your exact address, date and vehicle before you pay.
Which trains arrive at Union, and what that means for your pickup
- VIA Rail corridor trains from Montreal, Ottawa, Kingston, London, Windsor and Sarnia, plus the long-distance Canadian. Passengers leave through the Great Hall and the VIA concourse, which is the Front Street side of the building.
- The Maple Leaf, operated jointly by VIA Rail and Amtrak, from New York City via Niagara Falls. Canadian customs inspection happens at Niagara Falls, Ontario, so by the time you step off at Union you are cleared.
- GO Transit trains on every line, including Lakeshore West from Hamilton, Burlington and Niagara. GO passengers usually exit through the York or Bay concourses.
- UP Express from Pearson Terminal 1, which stops in the SkyWalk at the far west end of the station, nearest York Street and the convention centre side.
Current schedules are on VIA Rail, GO Transit, UP Express and Amtrak. We do not repeat timetables here because they change with each schedule period.
Which door to walk out of
Tell us your train and we match the exit to it:
- VIA and the Maple Leaf: walk up into the Great Hall and out through the main Front Street doors. This is the classic pickup.
- GO on the York side: exit toward York Street and Front; the chauffeur waits on the York end of the Front Street curb.
- GO on the Bay side, or anyone with lots of luggage: follow signs to the Union Station Bus Terminal on Bay Street, which has elevators and an indoor pick-up and drop-off level off the street.
- UP Express: the SkyWalk exits at the west end toward York Street and Front; walking east to the main doors takes a few minutes with bags.
If you are unsure, stay inside and message the chauffeur; it is quicker to move a car one block than to drag three suitcases around the building.
Where a car can legally stop outside Union
Downtown Toronto enforcement is strict, and a car stopped in the wrong place is moved on within a minute. Our chauffeurs use only the passenger loading curbs the City and the station designate, never the bus lanes, the cycle tracks or a live traffic lane on Bay or York. That is the practical reason a chauffeur may circle the block rather than sit outside the door: waiting at the curb is not permitted on Front Street during busy periods, so the car holds nearby and comes in when you message that you are at the door. Your chauffeur's text tells you the exact loading spot on the day; construction around the station and the CIBC Square bus terminal changes curbs from time to time, and the Union Station website posts notices when entrances close.
Train tracking from Hamilton
A car leaving Hamilton for a Union pickup has to set off an hour or more before your train is due, so tracking starts early. Dispatch follows the live status of your VIA train number, your Maple Leaf number or your GO trip, and moves the chauffeur's departure if a delay shows up before the car leaves. If the train slips after the chauffeur is already on the QEW, the chauffeur waits nearby rather than circling the core. Included waiting is 15 minutes from the train's actual arrival, then 15-minute blocks, and dispatch messages you before any extra time starts. VIA passengers who check bags should add 15–20 minutes of waiting at booking, since checked baggage can take a while to come out.
Luggage: what fits and where to collect it
VIA allows checked baggage on many corridor and long-distance trains, collected in the station after arrival; carry-on bags come with you off the platform. A business sedan takes three passengers and three suitcases; if you are travelling with skis, a cello, a bike box or four large cases, book an executive SUV or a luxury van. The chauffeur loads the trunk; you do not need to lift anything at the curb. For a family moving a student home at the end of term, a Sprinter can carry the whole dorm room.
Accessibility at Union and in the car
Union Station has elevators between the platforms, the concourses and street level, and VIA offers assistance on its trains when requested in advance through VIA. Our own fleet has no ramp-equipped vehicles, so we can help a passenger who can transfer to a seat: the chauffeur folds and stows a wheelchair or walker in the trunk. For a traveller who must stay in their wheelchair, we will point you to a specialist accessible provider rather than send the wrong vehicle. For older relatives arriving alone, book meet and greet (planning figure $25–35): the chauffeur waits inside with a name board and walks them to the car.
Meet and greet versus curbside
The fare includes curbside pickup: you walk out, message the chauffeur, and the car is at the loading spot within a couple of minutes. Meet and greet puts the chauffeur inside, at the top of the VIA arrival stairs or the GO concourse you name, with a name board. It is worth it for first-time visitors to Toronto, anyone with mobility issues, and executives who want to walk straight out rather than read signs. The chauffeur's parking during a meet and greet is included in the add-on.
When GO or VIA alone is enough
Plenty of Hamilton trips need no car at all. A solo traveller going from Union back to Hamilton at a normal hour can take the Lakeshore West GO train to West Harbour GO or, at weekday rush hour, to Hamilton GO Centre, for a fraction of our fare. VIA corridor passengers bound for Burlington or Hamilton can often stay on their train to Aldershot station, which is 10 minutes by car from downtown Hamilton. If that works for you, book us for the short leg instead: an Aldershot pickup costs a quarter of a Union run.
When a chauffeur from Union wins
- Your train arrives late at night after the last convenient GO train toward Hamilton.
- You have more bags than you can manage on a GO platform and a transfer.
- Three or four of you share one fare, so the door-to-door cost per person narrows.
- Your final stop is on the Mountain, in Ancaster, or in Waterdown, far from any GO station.
- You are arriving on a delayed Maple Leaf or VIA train and a missed GO connection would mean a long wait.
- You want to take a call or work on the way; a first-class sedan is quiet.
Timing a Union pickup around events
Union Station sits beside Scotiabank Arena and a short walk from the Rogers Centre, the convention centre and the waterfront. On game and concert nights, the streets around the station clog before the start and again after the finish. Dispatch checks the Scotiabank Arena calendar for your date; if your train lands in that window, the chauffeur will usually suggest the Bay Street bus terminal level, where cars move more freely. Long weekends and the end of university terms also bring heavy crowds at the VIA concourse.
Hourly bookings that start at Union
The lead product at HamiltonLimo.net is the hourly chauffeur service: one car and one chauffeur for a 3-hour minimum, business sedan planning rate $120–145 per hour all-in plus HST. From Union it suits a visiting executive who arrives by VIA, has two or three downtown meetings, then needs to be in Hamilton for dinner: the chauffeur meets the train, waits outside each office and drives the last leg, with one bill. A 4-hour sedan booking is $480–580 all-in plus HST. It also suits a family collecting a relative off the Maple Leaf and stopping at a restaurant in the city before heading home. The private chauffeur page explains how stops and waiting work.
Groups and multi-car arrivals
Wedding parties, sports teams and conference groups often arrive at Union together. A Sprinter takes up to 14 passengers and 14 bags and uses the bus terminal level, which is easier than Front Street for a large vehicle. For more than one vehicle, a coordinator prices the job in writing and assigns a lead chauffeur who confirms everyone is aboard before the convoy leaves.
Going the other way: drop-offs at Union
For departures, the chauffeur drops you at the door closest to your train: the Front Street doors for VIA and the Maple Leaf, the York end for UP Express, and the concourse you name for GO. Allow time inside: VIA recommends arriving well before departure, especially with checked baggage, so we plan the Hamilton pickup around the train time rather than the other way round. The route page gives the timing by time of day.
Booking direct
Book on HamiltonLimo.net's reservation engine, enter the train number or expected arrival, and you see a fixed all-in fare before you confirm. No app and no marketplace commission; one dispatch desk handles the tracking and the chauffeur. Cancellation is measured from scheduled pickup: more than 72 hours before, no charge; 72 hours or less, 10 %; 48 hours or less, 50 %; 24 hours or less or a no-show, 100 %. For all our rail pickups see the train station transfers hub, and for vehicle-by-vehicle pricing see rates.
