New Jersey to charge $150 round-trip transit for World Cup games

Soccer fans attending World Cup matches at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey will pay $150 for round-trip train fares from New York City during this summer's tournament, a price increase of nearly 12 times the regular $12.90 fare for the roughly 15-minute commute, NJ Transit officials confirmed Friday. The stadium, home to the NFL's New York Giants and Jets, is set to host eight World Cup matches including the final on July 19, and transportation authorities estimate around 40,000 fans will need to use mass transit for each game since on-site parking will not be available for most attendees. NJ Transit President and CEO Kris Kolluri defended the surge pricing, stating the agency needs to recoup costs that are expected to total $62 million over the tournament's duration, with only $14 million in outside grants available to offset expenses. New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill, a Democrat who took office in January, has argued that FIFA contributed nothing toward transportation while leaving the state's transit agency with a potential $48 million bill, saying in a social media post that she would not let New Jersey be taken advantage of. FIFA pushed back against the characterization, noting that agreements signed with host cities in 2018 called for free transportation for fans and that the organization had advocated for millions in federal funding to support transportation infrastructure. Other World Cup host cities are taking different approaches to transit pricing. While New Jersey's MetLife charges $150, Kansas City is offering shuttles to Arrowhead Stadium for just $15 round-trip, and Houston is keeping fares at $1.25 for buses and light rail despite hosting seven matches. Boston's Gillette Stadium, home of the NFL's New England Patriots, will charge $95 for express buses and $80 for round-trip commuter rail from Boston, four times the normal rate. New York Governor Kathy Hochul also weighed in on the controversy, posting that charging over $100 for a short train ride sounded "awfully high." A limited number of advance parking passes at the nearby American Dream Mall are currently priced at $225.