Toronto transit riders just got a nice perk. As part of an expanded partnership with the Montreal-based Transit app (not Toronto), the TTC is handing everyone a free upgrade to Royale, the app’s premium tier, right in time for the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Transit app’s Royale normally costs you $4.99/month or $24.99/year, but TTC riders now get it at no charge. The upgrade unlocks real-time detour info and maps that automatically track route changes, so you can see diversions as they happen instead of getting caught off guard.
That’s the headline feature, but it’s part of a bigger batch of trip-planning tools that started going live Sunday, June 7. The TTC also turned on step-by-step indoor navigation for subway stations on lines 1, 2, 4, and 6. At major hubs like Union, Bloor-Yonge, St Andrew, King, Bathurst, and Dufferin, the app now syncs with the city’s new exit ID signs to guide riders through busy stations and out the right street exit.
“This partnership with Transit app is about providing a more modern digital experience for people using our system,” said TTC Chair Jamaal Myers. “Having a great wayfinding app right in your pocket helps every step of their journey – from planning, to making those transfers, to getting to your destination.”
Behind the scenes, the two have been running a pilot together, and by sharing better data the TTC has updated its underlying GTFS systems. That makes real-time arrival and delay info more accurate across all the mapping and transit apps that pull from public data. The TTC is also dropping targeted surveys into the app to keep tabs on how riders feel about station cleanliness and safety.
“We’ve listened to our customers and are making it easier for them to get through our stations with confidence,” said TTC CEO Mandeep S. Lali. “Better information, clearer directions, and tools that work in real time. That matters every day, and it matters even more as we welcome visitors for the World Cup.”
The app perks come alongside a wider push to improve physical navigation across the network, including clearer station signs and an ongoing trial of NaviLens, a scanning tech meant to help visually impaired riders get around.
You can click here to download the Transit app in the App Store.
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Actually, Transit App is based in Montreal