NJ Transit CEO explains World Cup fare hike as NJ Gov again implores FIFA to pay for $150 train tickets

An already-expensive travel to the World Cup conscionable got adjacent much costly, arsenic NJ Transit and the FIFA New York New Jersey Host Committee announced fare hikes to be 8 matches astatine MetLife Stadium this year.

The East Rutherford, New Jersey, stadium volition big those matches, opening June 13 and ending with the last connected July 19, but a roundtrip bid summons to and from New York Penn Station and MetLife Stadium volition beryllium $150, up from the accustomed $12.90. Shuttles are besides disposable for $80.

NJ Transit CEO Kris Kolluri defended the fare hikes connected Friday, saying that the eventual outgo to the nationalist proscription institution should not beryllium the load of New Jersey commuters.

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NJ Transit CEO Kris Kolluri and Alex Lasry, CEO of the 2026 FIFA World Cup New York New Jersey Host Committee, talk during a property briefing connected the determination mobility program for the World Cup successful Newark, New Jersey, connected April 17, 2026. (Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images)

"It is an breathtaking infinitesimal for New Jersey to showcase New Jersey's diverseness arsenic good arsenic its economical lasting successful the state and successful the world. Equally important, she has said that New Jersey commuters cannot and volition not subsidize the question of fans going to the game, due to the fact that that would not beryllium fair," Kolluri said, reiterating that the tourney volition outgo NJ Transit $48 million.

"In bid to determination 40,000 radical and to wage for the outgo of $6 cardinal (per game), we person to complaint $150."

The CEO said that if the regular $12.90 fare were enactment successful place, commuters would subsidize the $48 cardinal measure by 92%.

"No 1 that I person spoken to thinks that's just oregon reasonable. Commuters successful New Jersey should not transportation the outgo years into the aboriginal for a fantastic event, nary doubt. But the fans going to the games should load the cost, that's each we're trying to say," Kolluri added.

Days aft New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill said that FIFA should wage for commuters' costs, she did truthful again soon aft the fare hikes were announced.

"New Jersey is acceptable and excited to big 8 FIFA World Cup matches this summertime – including the World Cup Final," Sherrill began successful a societal media station Friday.

A wide presumption of MetLife Stadium and the Meadowlands Train Station is seen from a NJ Transit bid earlier the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 semi-final lucifer betwixt Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid astatine MetLife Stadium successful East Rutherford, New Jersey, connected July 9, 2025. (Luke Hales/Getty Images)

FIFA SAYS NJ TRANSIT FARE HIKES FOR WORLD CUP WILL HAVE 'CHILLING EFFECT,' AGAIN RIPS NJ GOV SHERRILL

"Since I took office, my Administration has been moving to hole for the biggest sporting lawsuit our authorities has ever seen – and today, NJ TRANSIT released their Mobility Plan to determination 40,000 fans to and from each lucifer safely and efficiently. In the FIFA World Cup statement that my Administration inherited, FIFA enactment zero dollars towards transporting World Cup fans. It besides eliminated parking astatine MetLife Stadium, putting the load of transporting 4 times much matchday riders than emblematic for an lawsuit astatine the stadium connected NJ TRANSIT. This statement volition outgo NJ TRANSIT astatine slightest $48 million, portion FIFA is positioned to marque $11 cardinal during the World Cup.

"As I person said repeatedly, FIFA should screen the outgo of transporting its fans. If it won’t, we volition not beryllium subsidizing World Cup summons holders connected the backs of New Jerseyans who trust connected NJ TRANSIT each day."

The fare hikes, however, did not delight FIFA. In a scathing connection to Fox News Digital, World Cup COO Heimo Schirgi said the "current pricing exemplary volition person a chilling effect," including congestion, precocious arrivals, and "broader ripple effects that yet diminish the economical payment and lasting bequest the full portion stands to summation from hosting the World Cup."

Schirgi besides ripped Sherrill for her "unprecedented" inquire to marque FIFA wage for the commuting costs.

"No different planetary event, performance oregon large sporting promoter has faced specified a demand. While FIFA is projected to make astir $11 cardinal successful revenue, not profit, arsenic the Governor incorrectly claims, FIFA has ever been a not-for-profit enactment arsenic per our statutes. Revenues from the FIFA World Cup are reinvested into processing the crippled of football, peculiarly for younker and women, worldwide," Schirgi said.

Commuters determination done the NJ Transit conception of Penn Station successful New York City connected May 20, 2025, aft NJ Transit resumed operations pursuing a tentative woody to extremity a three-day onslaught by bid engineers. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

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Parking has been barred from MetLife Stadium, and rideshare volition beryllium highly limited, some of which volition effect successful accrued NJ Transit commutes.

New York Penn Station volition besides lone beryllium unfastened to matchgoers opening 4 hours anterior to the commencement of games, and fans were urged to debar nonessential NJ Transit question connected crippled days.

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