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"Not price gouging," NJ Transit CEO Kolluri on $150 World Cup train tickets
Round-trip fares to MetLife Stadium surge nearly 12-fold as officials defend pricing as cost recovery, not burdening daily commuters
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Staff Reporter - Sat, 18, Apr 2026
- 16:07 EDT
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Kris Kolluri / Image- LinkedIn
Amid backlash over a nearly 12-fold hike in train fares between New York and New Jersey for the FIFA World Cup, Kris Kolluri said the move is about cost recovery, not profiteering.
The Indian American who leads NJ Transit, the state's public transportation agency, told reporters at a press briefing on April 17, "When you net out how we are thinking about this, this isn’t profit-making. We’re not trying to gouge anybody. We’re trying to recover the cost of $48 million that it’s going to cost, by charging $150 a ticket, period."
Also Read: Kris Kolluri gets expanded New Jersey transit role
The $150 round-trip fare applies to travel between Manhattan and MetLife Stadium, where eight World Cup matches—including the final—will be held over three weeks in June and July. Under normal conditions, the same journey costs $12.90.
The pricing is tied directly to the tournament’s “public transit-first” model. With no parking available for World Cup ticket holders, rail and shuttle systems will serve as the primary means of access, with only about 40,000 fans per match able to secure train tickets, that release on May 13.
Kolluri told reporters that the total cost of providing transportation for 40,000 fans was originally $62 million, which was reduced by a $10 million federal grant and $3.6 million from the New York-New Jersey Host Committee, bringing the total to $48 million.
The $150 train ticket will help the state recoup its $48 million investment in train upgrades and security for the matches, according to Kolluri who reiterated, “This isn’t about trying to make a profit. We are trying to literally recover our cost.”
Kolluri further explained that if Itickets remained at the normal $12.90., New Jersey commuters would subsidize the cost of FIFA travelers by 92 percent.
“We are willing to do it. We're excited to do it. We are capable of doing it,” he said. “But to say that a commuter who is a hotel worker who takes New Jersey Transit from Trenton to New York every day has to somehow now subsidize 92% for a fan who's paying on average $1,500 FIFA tickets, I think that's a non-starter," he stressed.
New Jersey Governor echoed the sentiment, calling on FIFA to fund the transportation of fans. "As I have said repeatedly, FIFA should cover the cost of transporting its fans. If it won’t, we will not be subsidizing World Cup ticket holders on the backs of New Jerseyans who rely on NJ TRANSIT every day."
The statement has not been received very well by FIFA, which expressed its displeasure and "shock" over the demand.
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