Fans feel 'gouged' by £111 World Cup train tickets

The Football Supporters' Association says fans are being "fleeced" and "gouged" after the announcement that a 30-minute train journey to a World Cup game at MetLife Stadium will cost $150 (£111).

The journey from Penn Station in Manhattan to the venue in New Jersey, which is about 18 miles, shows more than an 11-fold increase on the usual $12.90 (£9.50) for a return fare.

There are no concession prices, so children and seniors must also pay the full $150.

Shuttle bus tickets are priced at $80 (£59).

Both train and bus tickets are non-transferable and non-refundable.

Reports this week suggested the price would be $100 (£74), but on Friday operators NJ Transit announced the fare would be higher.

MetLife Stadium - which will be named New York/New Jersey Stadium during the World Cup as part of Fifa's policy on corporate sponsored names - will host eight matches, including an England group game, and the final on 19 July.

This comes after train fares for matches at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, outside Boston, were vastly increased to $80 (£59), with coach tickets costing $95 (£70).

Thomas Concannon, who leads the FSA's England fans' group, told BBC Sport it is "incredibly disappointing" to be hit in the pocket again - on top of the high ticket prices for the matches.

"The price is obviously astronomical in terms of what you would expect to pay going to a match, going to a tournament," Concannon said. "This is completely out of the norm from previous tournaments.

"You're supposed to be welcoming fans from around the world. And I think at this stage, fans couldn't feel less welcome.

"I don't think anyone this time was expecting transport to be free. But we weren't expecting to be gouged, either.

"That's ultimately what's happened here, and that's just extremely disappointing. We don't understand why."

Travel at the World Cups in Russia and Qatar was free, and the United States had committed to offer the same perk in its host agreement with Fifa.

On Wednesday, New Jersey governor Mikie Sherrill criticised Fifa for not providing any funding.

The governor said she would not "stick New Jersey commuters with that tab for years to come" and "Fifa should pay for the rides".

But Fifa responded, saying it had already "recognised the financial strain" on host cities and said travel could - and should - be offered "at cost".

'Costs getting higher and higher'

Host cities may have made a commitment to provide transport to games at the usual cost, but the prices in New Jersey and Foxborough go far beyond that.

Not all cities are the same, however.

Free shuttles, external are being offered in Arlington from Centerport Station, and Kansas is charging $15, external (£11) for a return bus to the stadium from four pick-up points.

Philadelphia has said the usual fare of $2.90, external (£2) will remain in place across the six games in the city.

Concannon added that as more high prices are announced, "this sort of stuff is starting to not surprise us".

"Every single thing coming out of this tournament so far is just fans getting fleeced," he added.

"With there being no concessionary prices that's obviously going to impact families, senior concessions as well.

"Who knows what even a pint of beer is going to cost in the normal bars? What's food going to be like? And then there's obviously the tipping culture.

"Costs are just getting higher and higher and higher."

The prices in New Jersey and Foxborough will hit both England and Scotland fans.

The Three Lions take on Ghana in Foxborough on 23 June, and then head to the MetLife to face Panama on 27 June.

Steve Clarke's Scotland have two games in Foxborough, against Haiti on 13 June and Morocco on 19 June.

Scotland's third match, against Brazil, is in Miami - and there is still no information on how fans are being transported to fixtures at Hard Rock Stadium.

The cost of parking at stadiums is also very high, with a space at the MetLife costing $225 (£166). Foxborough is priced at $175 (£129) for one car.

"We've already seen England fans putting buses on independently run to get to the game in Foxborough from Boston and Providence," Concannon said.

"England fans are very, very good at looking after each other and working a way to get there as cheaply as they possibly can.

"But this just hasn't been made easy - again. All this shouldn't be something that England fans are having to worry about.

"It just goes to show that the organisation hasn't been great."

Last week, Fifa put on sale a new batch of tickets under 'Front Category 1' and 'Front Category 2'.

The seats were in the first rows of lower sections and up to three times the price of a regular Category 1 ticket.

As has been the case throughout the sales process, there was no prior warning that these tickets existed or when they would go on sale. Fifa would not comment on its ticket sales policy.

"It's not a surprise that these things are getting rolled out and ultimately trying to make as much money as possible," Concannon added.

"And again, it's just a shame. It's a real shame to see."