Return trip from NYC to World Cup final stadium could cost $100 during tournament

Train tickets from New York City to MetLife Stadium, the New Jersey site of eight World Cup games this summer, are set to increase sevenfold to more than $100 during the tournament, according to a new report.

The Athletic reported NJ Transit’s plans for the ticket increase on Tuesday, citing sources familiar with the public transportation provider. NJ Transit told Fox 5 New York that the price has not been finalized. A decision is expected in the coming days, the Athletic report said.

NJ Transit lists the price for a round-trip ticket from New York’s Penn Station to MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford as $12.90, with lower price points for children, seniors and passengers with disabilities. The new pricing would reportedly put the return ticket at more than $100 with no reduced price options.

The cost of transit has been a much-discussed topic ahead of this summer’s World Cup, alongside the sky-high prices of match tickets for fans. The Massachusetts transit authority has raised its prices for travel from Boston to Foxborough’s Gillette Stadium from $20 to $80.

The Athletic’s report came a day after Mikie Sherrill, the governor of New Jersey who took office earlier this year, spoke at a news conference about her desire to reduce the taxpayer burden of World Cup costs in her state.

“When I came into office about two months ago, I immediately got to work on the World Cup,” Sherrill said. “One of the key things I wanted to make sure of was that we were not going to be paying for moving people who were viewing the World Cup on the backs of New Jersey taxpayers and New Jersey commuters.”

NJ Transit told Fox 5 the overall cost to deploy its services for the eight World Cup matches at MetLife – which include the 19 July final – is estimated at $48m.

“The ticket prices for match day travel have not been finalized,” the agency said. “However, as the Governor has clearly stated, the cost for the eight matches will not be borne by our regular commuters.”

In February, Sherrill announced the cancellation of the planned $5m fan festival at Liberty State Park in Jersey City. The funds will instead be used to stage smaller watch parties and events throughout the state.

Tens of thousands of fans are expected to use the area’s rail network to reach matches at MetLife, where parking lots are set to be drastically reduced from their regular availability for concerts and NFL games. NorthJersey.com reported last month that parts of Penn Station – the busiest transport hub in North America – will be open only to World Cup ticket-holders for four hours before the start of the eight MetLife matches.