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How veterans and CAF members can ride GO Transit for free
A guide to using the new fare type and adding it to a PRESTO card.
Apr 10, 2025
As of Mar. 1, 2025, Veterans and Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members (Regular and Reserve) can now ride for free year-round on GO Transit.
It’s as simple as hopping on the GO with an appropriate form of identification, such as a Veteran’s Service Card, a Canadian Military Service ID or Temporary National Defence ID Card.
While PRESTO is not required to use this free service, eligible customers have the option to add a fare type to their card and tap as normal. There may be benefits to using your PRESTO card.
What are the benefits of adding the fare type to my PRESTO card?
Eligible military members and veterans can travel year-round for free on all GO trains and GO buses. (Metrolinx photo)
Registering the fare type to a PRESTO card lets you take advantage of One Fare and save even more with PRESTO Perks. If you are using PRESTO and begin your trip on GO Transit, then transfer to a local transit agency within the 3-hour transfer window, you will ride free.
Or if you begin your trip with a local transit agency and then connect to GO Transit within the 2-hour transfer window, you will get the cost of your local transit agency fare refunded, making the whole ride free. Remember to tap on and off as normal or the savings will not apply.
It’s vital to carry appropriate forms of ID. Just as proof of age is required for customers holding child, youth or senior fare types, valid identification is required when using the special CAF members and veterans fare type.
How to add the veterans and CAF members fare type to your PRESTO card
Speak to any Station Ambassador at a staffed GO Station to have the special CAF and veterans fare registered to your PRESTO account. (Metrolinx photo)
Simply speak to a Station Ambassador at any staffed GO Station to have the new fare type added to your PRESTO card. A physical PRESTO card can only hold one fare type at a time.
You can visit the Find A Station or Stop page on the GO Transit website to check staffed GO Station hours.
But what if you cannot choose between multiple fare types on a single card? We’ve got you covered.
How to register multiple fare types to a digital PRESTO card
Be sure to keep your valid military ID or Veteran’s Service Card on hand during fare inspection! (Metrolinx photo)
PRESTO in Google Wallet or Apple Wallet allows for multiple transit agency specific fare types on a single card. For example, if you have the senior’s fare type for your local transit agency but also qualify for the CAF and veterans fare type on GO Transit, you may want to have both on your PRESTO card.
Customers will need to visit a staffed GO Station to have the new fare type added to their PRESTO in Mobile Wallet.
Either way, whether using a PRESTO card or not, be sure to keep a valid form of the appropriate identification on you to present during fare inspection.
To learn more visit, gotransit.com/CAF.
by Shane Kalicharan Metrolinx editorial content advisor