Gov. Mikie Sherrill demands FIFA foot the bill for World Cup transportation after reports NJ Transit could inflate train tickets by 775%

New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill bashed the “inherited” World Cup host agreement in which FIFA is absolved of paying for transportation to the matches at MetLife Stadium — and insisted she won’t stand for its planned price gouging.

NJ Transit plans to raise prices to a staggering $100 for fans traveling from New York Penn Station to MetLife Stadium for the eight FIFA World Cup games hosted at the Garden State arena.

While the rumored hike has “not been finalized,” according to a NJT spokesperson, locals are already fuming — Sherrill included.

Sherrill, who entered office at the beginning of this year, fumed that her “administration inherited an agreement where FIFA is providing zero dollars for transportation” to and from the World Cup.

She surmised that the hullabaloo will bury NJT under “a $48 million bill” as they are tasked with carting upwards of 40,000 fans to and from the stadium.

At the same time, the haughty honchos at FIFA are set to make an estimated $11 billion off the Cup, so covering the transportation bill would only eat up an estimated .4% of their entire revenue.

“I won’t stick New Jersey commuters with that tab for years to come. That’s not fair. So here’s the bottom line, FIFA should pay for the rides, but if they don’t, I’m not gonna let New Jersey commuters get taken for one,” Sherrill said.

New York Sen. Chuck Schumer also criticized FIFA for “[handing] the bill” to the public.

“The least FIFA can do is ensure New York residents can go to the stadium without being gouged at the turnstile. I am demanding FIFA step up and cover transportation costs for host cities and states.

NJ Transit trains run the length of NJ and into and out of Penn Station in Manhattan. And just like the rest of the Northeast corridor AMTRAK (and other) lines, it has enough population density and potential ridership to be profitable - if it was on its own.

Even if you go back to pre-Covid commuting patterns and percentages, it's misleading to state that they're profitable because the trains make more money then their operating costs. When you factor in the cost of equipment and rail (along with their maintenance) it's pretty tough to make a profit.

The MTA only breaks even on its transit operations, and that's because they massively overcharge for the bridges and tunnels under their control - that subsidy alone is billions of dollars. The Port Authority (NY/NJ) makes money on all of its properties (WTC, airports, ports, bridges, tunnels) yet still has to shell out (hundreds of millions) to cover losses on the tiny PATH system - which connects four densely-populated areas (Newark, Jersey City, Hoboken, and Manhattan).

The only rail system I've ever seen that's truly profitable still has an asterisk next to its name - Hong Kong's MTR system. The government granted them land around the stations for the MTR corporation to develop and operate. Their model (rail plus property) is demonstrably successful.

NJ Transit has bus and train lines that should be scrapped. As a government/political entity the “elected officials” will not allow it. As a private company it could make fiscally responsible decisions - which would cut out any line - bus or train - that cannot support itself from the fares

For NJT to make money for anyone they'd not only shred the labor contracts, but also the schedule - which would make the service far less useful. However, I do believe that they would lose less money if the management and operation of the system was turned over a different group that was compensated based on performance and free of political interference. Good luck seeing that happen in New Jersey. Most of these systems (especially the MTA) would benefit from such a change.

I grew up in New York City and I see the value of rail as a transport system for people - but like most of America, the funding model is broken. Their management and operation models are also broken.

While I am all for privatization, the sad reality is that you can't run trains with these labor contracts and schedule desires and make money on passengers alone. You need something else to absorb the losses. If the interstate highway system didn't massively cut into freight (train) revenue, there would likely be more privately-run passenger service today, along with more freight operators.

My comments do not, unlike your assumptions, assume either Amtrack or NJ Transit could be profitable as is.

My comments, unlike yours, do not pretend every single train or bus line in their systems could be profitable on their own if privatized.

Most cannot. However some could be.

If Amtrack was reduced to just the Northeast Corridor lines from Boston to D.C. and shorn of the rest of the system, and privatized, it could be a profitable concern.

If a similar scalpel was taken to NJ Transit as a private company, it too could survive without taxpayer subsidies.

Politics, not deep transportation analysis, props up the demand for the continuation of the most deficit causing parts of those systems.

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