NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — very high ticket price That won’t be the only thing that will empty the wallets of soccer fans attending World Cup matches at select U.S. venues this spring.
Fans trying to get to MetLife Stadium from New York City can expect to pay $150 in round-trip train fare for each game, transportation officials confirmed Friday.
That’s nearly 12 times the regular fare of $12.90 for the approximately 15-minute, 9-mile (14 km) trip from Manhattan’s Penn Station to the stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Most fans will not have access to on-site parking, so New Jersey officials expect about 40,000 fans to use public transportation for each game.
The home stadium of the NFL’s New York Giants and New York Jets is scheduled to host eight World Cup games, including the final game on July 19th. Group stage matches between soccer powerhouses Brazil, France, Germany, England and other countries will begin on June 13th.
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill suggested the hike was necessary to ensure that commuters in the state won’t be “taboo for years to come” during the World Cup, which returns to the United States for the first time since 1994.
New Jersey Department of Transportation officials said it would cost $62 million to transport fans to and from the stadium during the tournament, but outside grants covered only $14 million of the projected cost.
“This is not rate gouging,” New Jersey Transit President and CEO Chris Corulli told reporters Friday. “We’re literally trying to recover our costs.”
Taking public transportation to the World Cup games, which are held outside Boston, is also expensive.
Express bus fares from various locations to Gillette Stadium, home of the NFL’s New England Patriots, will cost $95, officials announced this week.
And thousands of fans have already snapped up $80 round-trip train tickets from Boston to the commuter station near the stadium. That’s four times the $20 round-trip ticket typically charged to riders during game days and other special events. Unlike MetLife, Gillette is not within easy reach of downtown. The stadium is located in Foxboro, a town about 30 miles (48 km) south of Boston.
Other World Cup host cities include: Los Angeles and philadelphianoted that the U.S. government provides some transportation costs and promised not to change transit fees. $100 million in transportation grants Provide host cities with enhanced bus and rail services.
Kansas City offers shuttle buses from throughout the city to Arrowhead Stadium. Only $15 round trip. There is also a free bus service from the airport to downtown. Houston, which will host seven World Cup games, said it is adding buses and trains for fan services but intends to keep fares at current levels. Buses and streetcars cost $1.25, while park-and-ride options range from $2 to $4.50.
But New Jersey’s Democratic governor, who took office in January, said his administration had inherited an agreement in which international soccer governing body FIFA would provide “zero dollars in transportation costs,” while leaving the state’s permanently cash-strapped transportation agency “with a $48 million bill.”
“FIFA should pay for the ride. But if it doesn’t, I’m not going to take New Jersey on the ride,” Sherrill said in a statement. Wednesday social media posts.
FIFA objected to the proposal, pointing out that agreements signed with World Cup host cities in 2018 called for free transportation for fans to all matches. He also claimed that he has never been asked to pay for transportation expenses for fans at other large-scale events held at MetLife.
“We are very surprised by the New Jersey Governor’s approach today regarding fan transportation,” the organization said in a statement Thursday as news reports about the reported fares began circulating. “FIFA has worked with host cities for years on transportation and mobility planning, including advocating for millions of dollars in federal funding to support host city transportation.”
New York Governor Kathy Hochul also opposed MetLife’s massive fare increase.
“Charging over $100 for a short train ride seems extremely expensive to me,” the Democrat posted. on X earlier this week.
The skyrocketing price setting is first reported According to sports outlet The Athletic.
If you take the train to a game at MetLife Stadium, the cost will be about the same. A limited number of parking spaces are available for pre-sale at the nearby American Dream Mall, currently priced at $225.
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