Posted on 04/18/2026 9:03:49 PM PDT by MinorityRepublican
An already-expensive trip to the World Cup just got even more costly, as NJ Transit and the FIFA New York New Jersey Host Committee announced fare hikes to attend eight matches at MetLife Stadium this year.
The East Rutherford, New Jersey, stadium will host those matches, beginning June 13 and ending with the final on July 19, but a roundtrip train ticket to and from New York Penn Station and MetLife Stadium will be $150, up from the usual $12.90. Shuttles are also available for $80.
NJ Transit CEO Kris Kolluri defended the fare hikes on Friday, saying that the ultimate cost to the public transportation company should not be the burden of New Jersey commuters.
"It is an exciting moment for New Jersey to showcase New Jersey's diversity as well as its economic standing in the country and in the world. Equally important, she has said that New Jersey commuters cannot and will not subsidize the movement of fans going to the game, because that would not be fair," Kolluri said, reiterating that the tournament will cost NJ Transit $48 million.
"In order to move 40,000 people and to pay for the cost of $6 million (per game), we have to charge $150."
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
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For those prices, will the train be completely sanitized for your protection? Will all of the sleeping Madmani residents get the ol’ heave-ho before departure times? Will refreshments be served? I gotta lotta questions.
Fair enough. Although from the press conference i saw it sounded like at least part of the cost is related to improvenments they would have made anyway sooner or later and for which they make the fans pay (instead of the commuters who benefitfrom them long-term).
What i don`t understand is why fares to other venues increased very little or not at all. Is public transport in New York really so terrible? If so, MetLife never should have been picked (and for the final too!) But i guess Fifa / the host nations don’t care for the fans. For them accessibility for their sponsors and other big wigs was probably much more important.
Someone catches a ball, runs with it, throws it or places it on the ground. Could be played in bedroom slippers for all the involved the foot has - except for place kickers.
That schoolboy in Rugby has a lot to answer for. LOL!
Yeah, “improvements” are a wildcard...31% of NJ Transit’s revenue is from fares...so existing regular commuters/toll payers are being “subsidized” by lottery money, etc., but the FIFA riders are paying “full fare +”. Unfair? Maybe but it is a “one-off” event and you are spending plenty for FIFA W.C. tickets I bet!
How much would an Uber be?
It’s NJ and FIFA. Both of which suck so whatever the cost is it’s irrelevant to me because I’ll be at least 1,000 miles away.
“Gov. Mikie Sherrill has said that New Jersey commuters cannot and will not subsidize the movement of fans going to the game”
Does Bruce Sprungsteen subsidy rides to his concerts at the Meadowland? No. Horseface Mikie is trying to price gouge soccer.
The city of Baltimore keeps threatening to run a light rail along the harbor waterfront. It’s a colossally stupid idea. I once ran some numbers using only their published construction costs and assuming full ridership of 59,000 per day every day. Total dreamworld. In my numbers, assuming no operating costs or overruns based on a 25-year lifespan for the rail cars, every ride would be $10. They plan to charge $2.50. I’m likely off by a factor of 3 or 4 so your supposition of $150 being the actual cost is likely correct
Sports complex was designed and built ,2times, for suburbia to DRIVE and park for the Giants, Jets, Cosmos, and many concerts. It was not built for Soccer. Tourism.
If soccer fans want to attend, pay the regular fare. Not just the inflated fare. If the chopper pilot doesn’t like it, well then move it . Since the trains originate in NYC, it’s not for NJ residents.
Fares cover less than a third of the $3.16 billion budget, leaving over $2 Billion a year coming out of taxpayer's pockets.
Now, you might do simple math and say that the fare should be $36, but that doesn't factor in that they will be paying overtime, not regular wages. Penciled out with costs allocated, my guess is that $50 tickets might cover things. But your argument for the regular fee screws the taxpayers.
That’s an awfully large sum of money to pay just to get to an event (not to mention admission prices) where you have a bunch of blokes in shorts trying to perform their best LeBron imitation on the grassy field.
Soccer - Hockey without any of the fun.
They claim that “security and infrastructure upgrades” will cost them...so, the way I read it, they know the infrastructure is not up to snuff and want others to pay for it. It seems that local LEOs would be the ones with extra costs for security...
That’s an 11,600% increase - I wonder if they differentiate between regular commuters and those attending the World Cup.
They claim that “security and infrastructure upgrades” will cost them...so, the way I read it, they know the infrastructure is not up to snuff and want others to pay for it. It seems that local LEOs would be the ones with extra costs for security...
then the regular fee should be permanently raised ...
Aren’t attendees of a sporting event part of “the public”?
Charter buses might transport people from PATH Hoboken and Journal Square to the stadium.
I assume the stadium gets filled for many events.
Why are the World Cup games different?
I’ve heard FIFA has been charging stiff prices and NJ Transit would like to get a cut.
~$300 and UP, way UP
“The Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority (TBTA), doing business as MTA Bridges and Tunnels, is an affiliate agency of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority that operates seven toll bridges, two tunnels, and congestion pricing in New York City. The TBTA is the largest bridge and tunnel toll agency in the United States by traffic volume. It generated more than $2.4 billion in toll revenue from 335 million vehicles in 2023. As of 2023, its operating budget was $596 million.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MTA_Bridges_and_Tunnels
That is a horrible way to treat FIFA. But then again, FIFA is very liberal and completely understands it is necessary.
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