Philadelphia will provide complimentary train travel to fans attending World Cup matches this summer, as confirmed by the local organizing committee.
A collaboration with World Cup sponsor AirBnB has enabled the committee to extend this offer to fans, which will include any trip on the B (Broad Street Line) train network from half-time until two hours after the conclusion of the matches from NRG Station, located near Lincoln Financial Field at the end of the B line.
Fans will also be charged only $2.90 (Β£2.14) for a trip to the stadium from any B line station, following the local transport network’s announcement last week that there would be no fare increases related to the finals.
Transport expenses during the tournament have garnered attention recently after New Jersey announced that fans traveling from central New York to MetLife Stadium would incur a $150 (Β£111) round-trip fare.
This decision faced criticism from fan groups and even from FIFA, which cautioned that the move could have a “chilling effect” and lead to transport complications around the stadium.
Philadelphia’s strategy is likely to be appreciated by fans, as the city is set to host matches featuring Brazil and France in the group stage, along with a round-of-16 match on the July 4th holiday in the U.S.
Josh Shapiro, the Governor of Pennsylvania, praised the announcement and expressed his satisfaction that fans would have access to free rides “so they can return home safely and affordably.”
Kansas City and Dallas have also revealed fan-friendly transport pricing for the tournament.
Kansas City, which is home to England’s training camp base, will provide free bus travel for fans from the airport near the fan festival in the city center, along with daily, weekly, and tournament passes for unlimited regional travel at a cost of $25, respectively.
Ticket holders will also have access to a Stadium Direct service, which links four park and ride locations and the fan festival to Arrowhead Stadium for $15 per person, according to the host city committee.
Dallas organizers have confirmed that fans traveling to AT&T Stadium — where England will play their opener against Croatia on June 17 — from downtown Dallas will pay only $6 round trip to the Centreport station, with free buses available to transport supporters the remainder of the way. Return fares from Fort Worth to Centreport will be just $4, organizers noted.
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill stated that “FIFA should pay” for transport, a day before NJ Transit confirmed the $150 USD round-trip fare from Penn Station in central New York to MetLife Stadium.
The initial hosting agreement signed by cities required them to provide free transport to fans, but the wording was later revised to indicate that this could be offered “at cost.”
FIFA’s criticism of New Jersey’s approach follows the governing body’s own backlash over the pricing of match tickets and the decision to implement a dynamic pricing strategy.
Information from PA was utilized in this report.
