NJ Transit Confirms $150 Round-Trip Trains To MetLife Stadium For World Cup

New Jersey Transit has confirmed that World Cup fans traveling to MetLife Stadium will pay $150 for a round-trip train journey from New York Penn Station, a fare increase that multiple outlets describe as roughly 11 times or more than 10 times the usual $12.90 route.

“NEW JERSEY (WABC) -- Officials with New Jersey Transit said they will charge $150 for train rides between Penn Station and MetLife Stadium during the World Cup this summer”

ABC7 New York

The BBC reports that Fifa hit back at criticism from New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill, saying the “NJ Transit current pricing model will have a chilling effect,” while Sherrill argued supporters were being forced to pay $150 for a 30-minute NJ Transit ride from New York to MetLife Stadium.

ABC7 New York

The Independent similarly frames the dispute as Fifa warning the $150 decision will have a “chilling effect,” and it ties the figure to a 10-fold increase from the usual $12.90.

ESPN adds that the $150 round-trip fare is for the roughly 15-minute, 9-mile ride from Manhattan’s Penn Station to the stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and it notes that the home stadium for the New York Giants and New York Jets will host eight World Cup matches including the tournament final on July 19.

NBC News reports the same $150 round-trip price and says a bus ride will cost $80, while also describing the parking situation as stadium lots off-limits to fan parking and passes for parking at a mall selling for $225.

Across the coverage, the dispute is anchored to the same core logistics: MetLife Stadium will host eight matches, and the $150 rail fare is presented as the price fans will pay just to get to the venue.

NJ Transit and New Jersey officials defended the fare hike as a way to recover costs tied to moving large crowds to MetLife Stadium, while also restricting access in ways that affect everyday riders.

Fox News reports that NJ Transit CEO Kris Kolluri said the tournament will cost NJ Transit $48 million and that “In order to move 40,000 people and to pay for the cost of $6 million (per game), we have to charge $150.”

amNewYork

ESPN similarly says NJ Transit planned to spend $62 million transporting fans to and from the stadium over the duration of the tournament, with outside grants defraying only $14 million of those anticipated expenses, and it describes a fare increase needed to cover the rest.

The BBC adds that the host city agreements were signed in 2018 and that Fifa had already worked with the host committee to develop a transportation plan that “provides efficient and accessible mass transit options” for fans attending the eight matches in New Jersey.

amNewYork reports that NJ Transit will make 40,000 round-trip rail tickets available to World Cup ticket holders for the eight games, and it says rail tickets “must be purchased in advance of games at the stadium,” with tickets not including discounted rates for children, seniors or passengers with accessibility issues.

The same outlet says NJ Transit will close its section of Penn Station to all non-World Cup ticket holders for four hours before all of the eight World Cup games at MetLife Stadium, while Kolluri said the transit plan is focused on delivering a “seamless travel experience” for match days and minimizing disruption for everyday customers.

Fifa and its World Cup officials responded to New Jersey’s $150 rail fare by arguing it would deter fans and create downstream problems for congestion and timing.

“Fifa has hit back at criticism from New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill, saying vastly inflated train fares at the 2026 World Cup will create problems far beyond just hitting fans in the pocket”

BBC

The BBC quotes Fifa official Heimo Schirgi, chief operating officer for the tournament, saying: “The NJ Transit current pricing model will have a chilling effect,” and it includes his explanation that “Elevated fares inevitably push fans towards alternative transportation options.”

In the same BBC account, Schirgi argues that this “increases concerns of congestion, late arrivals, and creates broader ripple effects that ultimately diminish the economic benefit and lasting legacy the entire region stands to gain from hosting the World Cup.”

The Independent repeats Schirgi’s language, stating that “Elevated fares inevitably push fans toward alternative transportation options,” and it adds that “to arbitrarily set elevated prices and demand Fifa absorb these costs is unprecedented.”

Fox News also includes Schirgi’s statement, quoting him as saying the “current pricing model will have a chilling effect,” and it repeats his “unprecedented” line about demanding FIFA absorb the costs.

NBC News similarly reports that Heimo Schirgi criticized the price hikes as having a “chilling effect,” and it quotes FIFA’s argument that “Elevated fares inevitably push fans toward alternative transportation options.”

New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill and NJ Transit leaders argued that FIFA failed to contribute to transportation costs, while FIFA countered that host-city agreements and later adjustments placed transportation “at cost” on host cities.

The BBC reports that Sherrill said FIFA was to blame for supporters having to pay $150 and that she urged FIFA to subsidise public transport for World Cup games, adding that there are no concession prices for the journey so children and seniors must also pay the full $150.

Business Insider

The Independent quotes Sherrill as saying NJ Transit had been “stuck with a $48m bill” while FIFA was making $11bn, and it includes her line: “I'm not going to stick New Jersey commuters with that tab for years to come. Fifa should pay for the rides.”

Fox News provides Sherrill’s longer statement, saying: “In the FIFA World Cup agreement that my Administration inherited, FIFA put zero dollars towards transporting World Cup fans,” and it adds that she said FIFA “also eliminated parking at MetLife Stadium, putting the burden of transporting four times more matchday riders than typical for an event at the stadium on NJ TRANSIT.”

The New York Times similarly describes Sherrill’s position that “FIFA put zero dollars towards transporting World Cup fans,” and it says she declared that the cost would be born by World Cup fans.

On the other side, the New York Times account adds that FIFA’s COO Schirgi said it was “unprecedented” to arbitrarily set higher prices and demand FIFA absorb the costs, while NJ Transit CEO Kris Kolluri insisted it was “not profit making or gouging — we are trying to recover the cost.”

While the underlying figures are consistent across coverage—$150 round-trip rail, $80 shuttles, and a MetLife Stadium schedule of eight matches including the July 19 final—outlets differ in how they frame the dispute and which supporting details they foreground.

“The controversial NJ Transit pricing plan to get to and from World Cup games at MetLife Stadium this summer has been revealed, and round-trip tickets are going to come at a hefty price”

CBS News

The BBC emphasizes Fifa’s response and quotes Heimo Schirgi’s “chilling effect” rationale, while also noting that the host-city agreements were signed in 2018 and that Fifa says the plan provides “efficient and accessible mass transit options.”

CBS News

Sky News foregrounds the England fan angle, saying the cost from New York City’s Penn Station to MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford is $150 (£111) for the 15-minute, nine-mile journey, and it adds that the price hike is nearly 12 times the usual $12.90 fare for the return trip.

The Straits Times uses a more direct tone, describing the fare as “insane” and quoting Kris Kolluri saying, “We are going to charge US$150 for our round-trip ticket on our system,” while also stating that “Just 40,000 train tickets will be available for the eight matches at the stadium.”

The New York Times focuses on the broader contract and revenue framing, describing FIFA’s claim that host-city agreements originally required free transportation for fans and that FIFA removed the requirement after pressure from host cities, agreeing it should be done “at cost.”

ESPN adds a comparative map of other host cities’ transit pricing, listing one-way fares in Los Angeles at $1.75, Atlanta at $2.50, Houston at $1.25, and Philadelphia subway base fare at $2.90, while also noting Kansas City shuttles at $15 roundtrip and Boston’s $95 bus option to Gillette Stadium.