Fans heading to MetLife Stadium from Manhattan will pay a $150 round‑trip train ticket for each World Cup match, NJ Transit confirmed Friday. The fare is roughly twelve times the standard $12.90 charge for the 15‑minute, nine‑mile ride between Penn Station and East Rutherford. With on‑site parking scarce, officials expect about 40,000 supporters to rely on mass transit per game this summer.

NJ Transit estimates transporting fans will cost $62 million over the tournament, with only $14 million covered by federal grants. President Kris Kolluri insisted the surcharge is not price gouging but a means to recoup expenses. Governor Mikie Sherrill defended the hike, warning that without it the state could inherit a $48 million transportation bill left by FIFA.

Boston’s Gillette Stadium sees $95 express‑bus fares and $80 train tickets, while Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Houston keep rates unchanged thanks to $100 million in federal transit aid. New York Governor Kathy Hochul decried the New Jersey charge as excessive, and FIFA rebuked the governor’s demand for free rides, citing 2018 agreements. The steep price tag will test fans’ willingness to travel by rail.