NJ Transit to gouge World Cup spectators traveling to upcoming matches, charging OVER $100 for a typical $13 ride

By ALYSSA GUZMAN, US NEWS REPORTER Published: 20:14, 14 April 2026 | Updated: 20:15, 14 April 2026 NJ Transit is planning on taking World Cup fans for all they're worth.   The Jersey transportation agency is gearing up to announce a round-trip train ticket for World Cup passengers that will cost more than $100, sources told The New York Times' The Athletic.  A typical round-trip ticket between New York's Pennsylvania Station and MetLife is $12.90. NJ Transit typically runs special train services between Secaucus Junction and Meadowlands Rail Station during events.  It also offers discounted prices for children, senior citizens, and the disabled. It is unclear if discounted tickets will be offered to these groups during World Cup this summer.   When the Garden State hosted the FIFA Club World Cup last summer, the ticket price did not change.  NJ Transit told the Daily Mail in a statement: 'The ticket prices for match day travel have not been finalized.'  'However, as the Governor has clearly stated, the cost for the eight matches will not be borne by our regular commuters.'  The transit agency estimated the games will cost $48 million to operate during the eight matches, it said in a statement.  The train ride from Manhattan to MetLife Stadium in New Jersey will cost ticketholders more than $100 for a round-trip ticket during the World Cup games  New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill said New Jerseyans will not be bearing the brunt end of the increase. NJ Transit told Daily Mail in a statement that prices are not set yet  The price change may be due to the Democratic state's new Governor Mikie Sherrill saying she would not transfer the estimated $48million onto taxpayers and normal commuters.  Sherrill said World Cup fans would not view the games 'on the backs of New Jersey taxpayers and New Jersey commuters.'  'We've worked together closely to make sure that the cost will not be borne by New Jerseyans.'  She is also encouraging the New York side of the commute to offer locals discounts on two days that they will be impacted by the games, as they will not be able to use Manhattan's Penn Station for four hours prior to the start of each World Cup game.  In New Jersey's Penn Station, only World Cup ticket holders will be allowed to enter the station, The Athletic reported.  New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has also spoken about the World Cup ticket prices, saying he hoped to get discounted tickets for locals. In December, Mamdani criticized the cheapest tickets to the World Cup for the New Jersey games being $4,000.  'That's five times more expensive than it was to go to the final in Qatar,' he told CBS News.  Typically a round-trip ticket between Manhattan and MetLife cost $12.90  To make matters worse, commuters will not be allowed in New York's Penn Station for four hours before each of the eight games. On the New Jersey end, only World Cup ticketholders will be allowed in  'I want the price to be something that's affordable. This, you'd have to mortgage your house to be able to afford that for a lot of people. And when it was last in the United States, you could get to the final in California for less than $200. That needs to be what we're looking for.   Boston will be running a similar transportation program to New Jersey for the games held at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough. The regular $20 ticket will now be $80 during the World Cup. Their bus service will cost $95 per seat, The Athletic reported.  It is estimated the US economy will generate $30billion by hosting the World Cup.   In other years, like during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, ticketholders received free transportation in the country's metro system throughout the games.  The 2024 European Championship in Germany also offered free public transportation.   Although the US, which has limited public transportation country-wide, was not expected to follow suit, riders coming from New York City typically have multiple pathways to MetLife Stadium, outside of NJ Transit.  Ticketholders can also take Uber, Lyft, or catch an $18 round-trip Coach USA bus on the Meadowlands Express route.  It is unclear if rideshare companies will have set prices, similarly to the way NYC taxis do for trips from JFK Airport, or will keep the regular dynamic pricing.  New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has also spoke about World Cup prices, saying he would like to see locals being given a discount to attend the expensive event  An Uber from Pennsylvania Station to MetLife currently costs around $65 on a weekday afternoon.  It is also unclear if Coach USA will be offering its direct route during the World Cup like it does to football games and concerts.  The Daily Mail has reached out to Uber, Lyft, and Coach USA for comment.   No comments have so far been submitted. 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