New Jersey lowers $150 train fare for World Cup to $105 amid outcry

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NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — The steep cost to ride the train to New Jersey's MetLife Stadium for the upcoming World Cup just got a little cheaper.

New Jersey Transit is reducing a planned $150 round-trip fare from all stations to the stadium in East Rutherford to $105. That’s still far higher than the roughly $13 a round-trip ticket from Manhattan’s Penn Station to the stadium typically costs.

A spokesperson for Gov. Mikie Sherrill said the Democrat had directed the transit agency to seek private and non-taxpayer dollars to reduce the planned fare hike.

“The Governor appreciates all the companies that have already stepped up to lower the costs for ticket holders,” Steve Sigmund, Sherrill's spokesperson, said in a statement. "She will continue to ensure the World Cup is an experience that benefits fans and all New Jerseyans.”

State officials said last month that the upcharge on trains headed to to the stadium was necessary to help offset the transit agency's costs for the games.

The state estimates around 40,000 fans will use mass transit for each match as there will be no on-site parking at MetLife stadium, only limited spots at the nearby American Dream Mall.

Spokespersons for FIFA declined to comment Thursday. Soccer’s international governing body had previously warned that New Jersey’s transit prices could have a “chilling effect" on the games, noting that other U.S. host cities, such as Los Angeles, Dallas and Houston, are keeping their fares unchanged.

MetLife, the home stadium for both the NFL’s New York Giants and New York Jets, is set to host eight World Cup matches, including the tournament final on July 19. Group stage matches for soccer powerhouses Brazil, France, Germany and England, along with other nations, begin June 13.