The cost of shuttle buses to one of the World Cup stadiums hosting an England match has been significantly reduced following widespread criticism from fans. The Three Lions are set to face Panama at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on June 27, and supporters initially faced an 80-dollar fare to travel from Grand Central Terminal or the Port Authority bus terminal in New York.
New York state governor Kathy Hochul announced on social media that the bus ticket has now been slashed to 20 dollars, aiming to make the World Cup “as accessible as possible”. This decision comes after England fans voiced their discontent with the high travel costs, with one fan noting that the trains from Boston and New York to the games would cost more than their ticket for the Euro 2024 final in Berlin.
Before the price reduction, lifelong England supporter Billy Grant expressed his frustration to the Press Association, stating: “I have to admit, when they announced the 100-dollar Boston train, that was the first one, when they announced that I was like ‘I’m not being funny, but that’s taking the mick’. That train is probably more than how much I paid for the Euros final. So it’s costing me more to get to the stadium in America than to watch the final in Germany, when England unfortunately lost to Spain. Then the New York one is 150 dollars, and I’m thinking ‘this is just getting ridiculous’. They’re rinsing you to go into the stadiums, then they’re double rinsing you to actually get there.”
New Jersey governor Mikie Sherrill also announced that NJ Transit trains have been reduced to a 98-dollar return journey, down from the initial 150 dollars, with these tickets set to go on sale on Wednesday. Governor Sherrill previously attributed the high transport costs for World Cup fans to FIFA, stating that the state had “inherited an agreement where Fifa is providing zero dollars for transportation”. FIFA responded by saying it was “surprised” by her comments.
Governor Hochul further stated that 20% of the tickets available on the shuttle buses will be reserved for New York residents, as they are “helping host the world”.
