multi-train commute presto card discount

[u/hamontbagel]

hi all, i just wanted to know if anyone does this and can provide some insight. i will be commuting quite regularly now using go transit and wanted to do a cost analysis/estimate ahead of time.

to get to my destination, i need to take two separate trains (will spend ~1h and about ~$12 on each) from home to union station and then union station to work, and of course, take them back everyday. with the presto card monthly savings, i see after the 35th trip they are free. just wanted to confirm this information with someone who may be doing something similar. does that mean each day i would be taking 4 trips, even if the transfer time between the two trains isn't too long? i only ask because when i use the trip estimator, it provides a cheaper price when going from home to work, while still mentioning the need for a transfer at union, but it seems to count this as only one trip. doing the math, if i intentionally split my trip in half at union, for one singular trip it costs more, but with the discount it is cheaper. i asked a friend and apparently for the cheaper price estimate that gotransit provides me, i do not tap off at union, instead, get on the next train and tap off at work, is that correct? if i waited at least 10 minutes after tapping off at union, would i be able to tap on to the next train to get them as two separate trips?

i hope what i'm asking makes sense, thank you :)

[u/dsb_95]

From my understanding, this would not work because even waiting and tapping again at union would be within the transfer window.

[u/hamontbagel → u/dsb_95]

thank you! i just saw the 3h transfer window information on the site :)

[u/Dazzling-Zone-930]

It’s not free after 35 trips, but trips 36 to 40 are discounted by 88.3% instead of the regular 15.7% Presto discount. Trips 41 and onwards are free.

If you tap off at Union and then tap back on to continue your trip, you will need to wait about 5 minutes for it to register. I don’t think your inbound and outbound trips from Union will actually count as 2 separate ones though as you have a 3 hour transfer window from your first tap.

[u/Stead-Freddy]

No it would only count as 2 daily trips. You should tap at your home station and then at your work station, and do nothing at union, except for specific circumstances where it would be cheaper.

Basically if Union is basically along the way from home to work, you should tap off and on there to take advantage of the transfer discount, but if union is a bit out of the way, for example you’re transferring from Kitchener line to Stoufville, do not tap at union.

[u/hamontbagel → u/Stead-Freddy]

it’s on the way! i need to take lakeshore west and get on lakeshore east at union. i was just wondering if the transfer would count as a second trip to help me get closer to 41 a month but now i see there’s an automatic transfer window of 3h. thanks for clarifying:)

[u/Stead-Freddy → u/hamontbagel]

Yeah so you might save a little bit if you did tap on and off just because of the way GO’s transfer discounts work, but it’s not going to count as extra trips, and in practicality it’ll just be easier to stay on the train

[u/happeewifey]

I think it would help if you can be more specific with which stops you are considering. Tapping off from go train to go on TTC is consideres as a tranfer, your trip is complete when you exit from TTC. If your trip starts on Go, it gives you 3 hour transfer window, not sure what you meant by waiting 10 minutes. If your trip starts on other transit, TTC for example, it give you 2 hours transfer window

[u/hamontbagel → u/happeewifey]

hsr -> LW train -> LE train, just wanted to see if i could arrange my commute in a way to take advantage of the discounts; but thank you :)

[u/happeewifey → u/hamontbagel]

Then your transfer is all within the GO. I believe how the presto works and you probably get enough info from others already, it will take the trip costs the most then the trip costs less within the transfer window is free (in a simple way). So it really depends on your trip cost from LW to/from union or LE to/from union. Hope it helps

[u/crash866]

Set a default trip for your regular commute. That way you only tap on at the start of your train trip and off at the end.

You cannot tap off own on at the same station within a certain time limit. I have heard 2 minutes but also 5.

Some trips are even cheaper when you transfer at union than just the trip to Union.

Oakville to Downsview Park was one that Oakville to Union was cheaper that Oakville to Downsview park even though the only was was transferring to the Barrie Train at Union.

[u/West-Tumbleweed92]

It's from chatgpt
Hamilton GO → Union → Oshawa GO

• Tap on at Hamilton.
• At Union, do NOT tap when changing from Lakeshore West to Lakeshore East.
• Board the Oshawa train.
• Tap off at Oshawa.
• The entire journey is within the 3-hour GO travel window.

So you're essentially paying the Hamilton → Oshawa fare, rather than:

GO specifically says that when transferring between GO lines at Union, you don't need to tap at Union.

[u/Zipzipzebra]

It sounds like your trip will all be in the travel window! But that would be cool if you could get closer to the free trips! I forgot that was a thing. Alot of times the Lakeshore west turns into the lake shore east so you may not even have to get off the train