Passenger rail operators serving Boston and New York City have taken steps to limit crowds using trains or traveling through key facilities during the upcoming World Cup soccer tournament.
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, owner of commuter rail services that utilize former New Haven, Boston & Albany/New York Central, and Boston & Maine routes, is charging $80 for tickets from Boston's South Station to Gillette Stadium, where World Cup matches will take place. By contrast, these tickets--which normally cost $20 for passengers traveling to New England Patriots games at the same location.
At the same time, New Jersey Transit plans to close its Penn Station New York concourse to all but those passengers ticketed to World Cup matches for the four hours preceding each event, citing security concerns.
Each of these changes has sparked debate regarding access to these publicly-owned and operated resources, and how future events will be handled by these and other transit agencies.
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Editor's Note: As the World Cup kicks off, All Things Trains will cover the preparations and service patterns of the various transit agencies, including how rail and transit services will be used in conjunction with bus and highway offerings to move both fans and everyday Americans from Point A to B during this historic event.
-Phil Bell
