New Metrolinx penalties start Tuesday, with a $300 fine for a second offence and escalating consequences for repeated fare evasion.
GO Transit and UP Express riders face much steeper fare-evasion penalties starting Tuesday, September 8. A second offence will carry a $300 fine, while repeated violations can lead to court proceedings and fines of up to $1,000.
The changes arrive as commuters return to regular travel routines after the summer. They apply to riders who cannot produce proof of a valid fare while on a GO Transit or UP Express vehicle or station property.
The new penalty scale, from first offence to court
- First offence: $200
- Second offence: $300
- Third offence: $400
- Fourth offence: $500, plus a new $25 late payment charge
- Fifth offence: a Provincial Offences Notice, with the fine determined by the courts, plus a new $25 late payment charge
- Sixth or subsequent offence: a provincial summons and a fine of up to $1,000, determined by the courts and subject to approval from the chief justice of the Ontario Court of Justice
Before the changes, a first offence carried a $35 fine plus a $25 late payment charge. The previous system also set lower penalties for later offences or sent some cases to court.
The Metrolinx board approved the revised structure earlier in 2026. The agency expects the higher penalties to generate between $6.79 million and $10.18 million in additional revenue, based on an estimated 40 to 60 per cent collection rate.
Why Metrolinx is changing the fines
Metrolinx staff reported 1,557,243 inspections on GO Transit and UP Express vehicles during the 2025–2026 fiscal year. About 5.02 per cent found riders who could not produce proof of a valid fare.
Staff also estimated that each one percentage-point reduction in fare evasion would recover $4,276,598 in revenue. The agency collected an estimated $4.48 million to $7.87 million from fines during that fiscal year.
For riders, the practical takeaway is simple: have a valid fare before travelling and be ready to show proof of payment during an inspection. From September 8 onward, a repeat violation will carry a significantly larger financial consequence than it did under the previous system.
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