NJ Transit bet $48M on World Cup crowds — and now it’s paying for empty seats

⚽ Flawed World Cup attendance data led NJT to overestimate demand.

⚽ Round-trip train tickets were priced at $98

⚽ There are still 4 more matches to be played including final

EAST RUTHERFORD — The head of NJ Transit says the data it received caused the agency to overestimate the cost of transporting World Cup fans to the Meadowlands and needlessly close New York Penn Station to the public.

Before the tournament started, Gov. Mikie Sherrill and NJ Transit CEO and President Kris Kolluri said the agency was committed to transporting 40,000 fans from New York Penn Station to and from each game for $48 million. They also vowed that regular riders would not have to pick up the extra cost. Instead, round-trip tickets were sold for $98, a ride that normally costs $13.

The station was also closed four hours before each match started to all but match ticket holders.

NJ Transit based its decisions on data from FIFA and American Dream, which sold limited parking. In reality, an average of 25,000 people bought tickets to each of the first four games.Officials say they may have overbudgeted by $16 million.

"If the people who are our partners had told us about a 20- to 25,000 person system, I would have planned for a typical concert and not spent all this money," Kolluri told NBC New York. "We are executing the plan that we collectively worked on for three years. If people decide not to follow the plan, that's not my issue."

As a result of the lower ridership levels, NJ Transit has overspent by $2 million per match.  Kolluri cautioned that there are four more matches to go, including the final match on July 19.

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Low-cost and free rides in other World Cup cities

By contrast, New York State's shuttle buses with $20 roundtrip tickets have sold out although the number of seats available is less.  New York Gov. Kathy Hochul took a swipe at NJ Transit's ticket prices when asked about the success of the buses. The end of the school year will make another 6,000 bus tickets available for Saturday's match.

"When people found out they'd have to pay upwards of $100 on a ride that used to cost $12.50 to get to New Jersey on transit, we said we have to have an alternative," Hochul told NBC New York.

Other World Cup host cities, including Philadelphia, have charged ticket holders a minimal price to get to their respective stadiums. In Miami, the ride is free.  Only Boston is charging a price comparable to New Jersey at $80 for a round-trip ticket to Gillette Stadium.

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Balloon arch at NY Penn Station to board trains headed to the World Cup

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