NEW YORK (BLOOMBERG) -- New Jersey Transit plans to announce a special FIFA ticket on Friday that could cost more than $100 for riders going to MetLife Stadium for World Cup games.
The ticket would take fans back and forth between New York’s Penn Station and the stadium, according to a person familiar with the issue. NJ Transit officials are considering charging more than $100 for the pass, the person said.
The pricey fare — seven times more than a standard ticket — is designed to ensure that everyday users don’t bear the expense of the additional train service.
Transit officials anticipate it will cost at least $48 million to run service to the eight matches, including the final game, being held at the stadium. Governor Mikie Sherrill has said NJ Transit commuters shouldn’t have to foot the bill.
The transit agency and the New York New Jersey Host Committee will detail the FIFA fare on Friday along with a transportation mobility plan for the event, Michael Beson, a NJ Transit board member, said Wednesday evening at the agency’s board meeting.
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Early reports on the cost of the tickets drew blowback from New York politicians including Governor Kathy Hochul, who wrote on social media that the price “sounds awfully high.” New York Senator Chuck Schumer called on FIFA to cover the additional transportation costs.
Kris Kolluri, NJ Transit’s chief executive officer, said during the meeting that the agency is focused on shielding its regular customers from World Cup expenses
“It is a wonderful thing that FIFA is coming to New Jersey,” Kolluri said. “But FIFA attendees should pay for FIFA travel, not New Jersey customers — and consumers who use our system every single day. It is a very simple principle that we will stand behind.”
Neither Kolluri nor Beson provided a price for the FIFA ticket at the meeting.
This summer’s World Cup will be held between June 11 and July 19, in 11 different US cities, including Los Angeles, Boston, Houston, San Francisco, and Atlanta.
NJ Transit isn’t the only agency to consider boosting fares for the event. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, which oversees transit for the Boston area, plans to charge $80 for round-trip train tickets on match days between South Station and Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
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