It’s not only World Cup game ticket prices that are skyrocketing.
The MBTA has announced that it’s spiking Commuter Rail ticket prices for fútbol fans to travel from Boston to Foxboro.
Roundtrip T tickets between South Station and Gillette Stadium for the World Cup in June and July will be $80 — which is four times the $20 fare for Patriots games, concerts, and Boston Legacy FC games this season.
Compared to the upcoming traffic nightmare and expensive parking, the T argues that taking the Commuter Rail’s expanded service for $80 “provides a predictable and more affordable way to travel to and from matches.”
Parking will be very limited at Gillette Stadium, with spots starting at $175. The MBTA tickets will cost $320 for a family of four.
“With our service plans and pricing announced today, we encourage the public to Kick the Drive and use the MBTA’s Boston Stadium Train service instead,” MBTA GM and CEO Phillip Eng said in a statement.
“Taking the Commuter Rail will be one of the easiest and most affordable ways to get to and from the Stadium,” added Eng, who’s also MassDOT’s interim secretary.
The T plans to run an “unprecedented amount of service” for the World Cup, transporting up to 20,000 riders to and from each of the seven matches. This is about 10 times the typical 2,000 riders for a Patriots game.
To meet this demand, the T took on a $35 million project to upgrade Foxboro Station in advance of the World Cup. There are also costs associated with deploying many additional customer service and operations staff, enhancing security operations, operating later bus and subway service on match days, and other upgrades.
The $80 train tickets are also good for unlimited travel across the entire Commuter Rail network on match days.
The MBTA will operate 14 express trains on the Franklin/Foxboro Commuter Rail Line between South Station and “Boston Stadium” in Foxboro on match days. Additional station staff will be onsite to direct passengers with boarding, direct pedestrian flow, and answer questions.
“The MBTA is proud to have the opportunity to enable football fans from near and far to travel the Commonwealth, and we are ready to deliver unprecedented transit services to the seven World Cup matches held at Boston Stadium,” Eng said. “The MBTA and MassDOT are focused on ensuring that we balance and support all of the celebrations and events this summer with the needs of our daily riders and drivers that count on the transportation system 365 days a year.
“MassDOT anticipates high volumes of traffic to Boston Stadium for the upcoming matches, and traffic management will include additional roadside message signs, proactive deployment of tow trucks to quickly clear vehicles, and High Occupancy Vehicle Lane schedule adjustments between Boston and Braintree on I-93,” Eng added.
The MBTA’s $80 ticket plan unveiling comes after Gov. Maura Healey last week announced summer fare discounts on the Commuter Rail.
Healey outlined four promotions that will run on the Commuter Rail through June, July, and August — including Free Fridays, a 50% discount on monthly passes, and more. Monthly passholders will save between $321 and $639 over the summer, depending on their route.
Related Articles
- Gov. Maura Healey announces security measures for 2026 FIFA World Cup
- Top judges skeptical of Marshfield’s challenge to MBTA housing law
- Townsend officials looking into trees cut down without permit
- Legislative audit dispute spills over into court system
- EDITORIAL: MBTA holdouts can judiciously create multifamily zoning
The Commuter Rail World Cup passes will be sold exclusively on mTicket, and they’re good for travel on the entire Commuter Rail network on match days.
Riders without match tickets will not be allowed to board trains for Gillette Stadium.
Commuter Rail tickets for the first five matches will go on sale beginning this Wednesday at 11 a.m., with tickets for the Round 32 and Quarterfinal matches on sale closer to the match dates.
All passengers, including children 11 and under, must have a ticket to board the train. Train ticket sales will close once the maximum capacity is reached.
Riders should plan to expect large crowds at South Station, Government Center, Park Street, and Foxboro Station.
Complete Gillette Stadium train schedules to the seven World Cup matches are available on the schedule page at MBTA.com/BostonStadiumTrains.
Full information can be found at MBTA.com/WorldCup.
Comments