Overview
- NJ Transit confirmed Wednesday that it will not alter its World Cup station-access policy and will reserve its portion of Penn Station for ticketholders for four hours before and three hours after each of eight matchdays.
- The agency provided last direct-train times into Penn Station for affected riders — 5:08 p.m. from Newark Broad Street and 5:23 p.m. from Newark Penn — after which travelers must switch to PATH at Newark to reach Midtown.
- A France vs. Senegal match at MetLife Stadium is scheduled for June 16 at 3 p.m., and the Knicks could host a Game 6 at Madison Square Garden that night, creating a notable overlap of large crowds and transit flows.
- NJ Transit says PATH transfers will be free with an NJ Transit ticket to New York during the restricted window, but the reroute shifts congestion and extra time onto New Jersey commuters and Knicks fans.
- The decision comes amid criticism over a special World Cup round-trip fare to MetLife Stadium that was announced at $150 and later cut to $98 after sponsors, feeding public debate over who bears costs and inconvenience for major events.