Schumer Demands FIFA Cover $150 NJ Transit World Cup Train Fares
Apr 19
Developing
2
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer urged FIFA to pay $150 NJ Transit round-trip fares for World Cup fans traveling to MetLife Stadium. Schumer released a statement calling on FIFA to cover the full rail cost for fans and pressured the soccer governing body to fund transit operations. He noted FIFA expects about $11 billion in revenue in the 2023-2026 cycle while contributing nothing to NJ Transit's projected $48 million shortfall. NJ Transit CEO Kris Kolluri estimated the total fan-movement operation will cost $62 million, including $11 million for security, with $10.6 million in federal funds and just over $3 million from the NY/NJ Host Committee. That combination leaves an estimated $48 million funding gap with no financial contribution from FIFA, Schumer said. He called the $150 round-trip fare "more than eleven times the normal fare" and labeled it "a ripoff, plain and simple."
