NJ Transit responds to reported $100 price for train to get to World Cup matches

NBC New York reports that NJ Transit is reportedly preparing to charge World Cup fans more than $100 for round-trip tickets from Penn Station to MetLife Stadium—a nearly 700% increase from the standard $12.90 event-day fare—though an agency spokesperson stated that final pricing has not been determined. The article is sourced from a named NJ Transit official who confirmed the approximate $48 million cost to the agency and stated that regular commuters would not bear the cost, alongside direct quotes from Gov. Kathy Hochul and Sen. Chuck Schumer criticizing the reported pricing. The initial report originated with The Athletic, and corroboration from the New York Times, Bloomberg, and Fox 5 NY confirms the reporting while noting NJ Transit's pushback on the proposal; Schumer's framing of the situation as a "shakedown" reflects broader criticism of FIFA's cost-shifting to host municipalities. Watch for official pricing announcements expected in coming weeks, as well as the confirmation or denial of rumored Penn Station operational changes on match days.