England fans will have to pay four times the price of a regular train ticket to go to the World Cup match against Ghana. Thomas Tuchel’s team will face the Black Stars on June 23 in Boston, Massachusetts. However, the group stage games will actually be played at Gillette Stadium in the nearby town of Foxborough, 44 miles from Boston’s South Station.
A return ticket from there to Foxborough typically costs $20 (£15). However, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) has confirmed that the trip will cost $80 (£60), adding another expense to an already expensive tournament. England fan group Free Lions released a statement following the news, saying it was “incredibly disappointing”. “$80 rail service from Boston South Station to Foxborough confirmed,” it began. “We are extremely disappointed that something like this is allowed to happen when normally we would have received a $20 return.
“In the case of stadiums located far from their advertised locations, all organizers had a duty to ensure that supporters could reach the stadium in a sustainable manner and at a fair price. Unfortunately, as with this tournament, supporters are exhausted.”
Individual supporters also voiced their disappointment on social media, with one writing: “It’s disgusting that they can get away with this.” Another enraged: “This is crazy… diabolical.” A third added: “Disgusting.”
This increase is in sharp contrast to the way England’s transport system was operating during the previous tournament. At Euro 2024 in Germany, supporters were able to use their match tickets to enjoy 36 hours of free public transport around the match venue.
In other controversial developments, reports suggest that New York’s Penn Station, the busiest transit hub in all of North America, will be open only to fans heading to the game at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium for four hours before kickoff, sparking anger among commuters. “That’s totally wrong,” one user posted on X.
“When it comes to publicly funded services, everyday citizens should never be sidelined.” The second question was: “What will that mean for commuters?”
“Some games are played on work nights. If a Tuesday game starts at 8 p.m., do you leave early or leave at 8 p.m.? Their site still has transportation arriving soon.”
