The 2006 World Cup in Germany was praised for welcoming global fans, supported by free local public transportation through the KombiTicket. Later hosts expanded fan transport access, including free long-distance trains in Russia in 2018 and free metro access in Qatar in 2022. In the United States, some stadium trips by rail carry additional charges, including $98 round-trip fares in New Jersey and $80 in Massachusetts, compared with much lower typical NFL travel costs. Officials say the charges cover security and expanded train service without burdening taxpayers. Fans view the fees as another cost added to already expensive travel in a car-centric country with limited public transit. Some officials argue FIFA should cover these expenses.
"Already reeling from astronomical ticket prices, expensive flights and exorbitant hotel costs, fans have been outraged to discover that getting to some stadiums via rail will come with another hefty bill: $98 round-trip train fares in New Jersey and $80 in Massachusetts trips that normally cost NFL fans $12.90 and $20, respectively."
"Officials insist they are not trying to rip off fans, but are instead just trying to cover the costs of security and expanded train service without being a drain on taxpayers. Yet fans see it as just another way that tournament organisers are burdening fans who are already paying huge sums to visit the US, a huge, car-centric country where public transit has long been an afterthought in many locales."
"Unlike past hosts, some state and local officials have been less willing to swallow the costs, arguing they should be covered by FIFA, the international football body that stands to rake in billions of dollars from the event. Planning for this World Cup has been a nightmare from start to finish, said Scotland-born Rory Phillips-Hunter, a 37-year-old hospitality worker who lives in northern England."
"I think it's the most inaccessible one there's ever been. Mystified by the lack of affordable options to travel 25 miles (4"
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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