Commuters may soon find themselves navigating yet another transportation challenge!
The frequently troubled New Jersey Transit system is preparing two large ferries to transport World Cup fans across the Hudson River, should there be any disruptions on the railways, officials have announced.
In an unexpected move, the transit agency—typically known for operating trains and buses—is implementing a contingency plan involving two 600-passenger ferries. New Jersey Transit CEO Kris Kolluri shared this information during a press conference on Wednesday evening.
Should there be any fires or electrical issues, soccer fans can board these boats in New York City and travel to Weehawken. From there, buses will shuttle them to MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford for the game on Saturday, Kolluri explained.
“We’re going to need a bigger boat,” Kolluri humorously remarked to an aide following a recent fire incident at Penn Station, as reported by Politico.
“We have arranged for two boats in Weehawken, each with a 600-person capacity, to be on standby in case of any failures along the Amtrak corridor,” Kolluri stated at the press conference.
The “contingency plan” comes after the beleaguered agency sparked outrage for initially charging a sky-high price of $150 for rides to the much-anticipated sporting event, then lowered it to $98.
It also comes as commuters have been frustrated in recent weeks by stall-outs in the tunnel from Penn Station to New Jersey, including when a fire broke out at the major transit hub late last month.
Kolluri on Wednesday shifted blame to Amtrak, citing the national railroad system as the main reason for needing backup boats.
“It is no secret that the last couple weeks have been pretty rough on the Amtrak system,” he said. “They are the single point of failure if something were to happen on the system.”
“Without Amtrak we will not be able to execute a proper plan for FIFA,” Kolluri said.
Problems at Penn Station and on the dozens of miles of track surrounding it have frustrated New Jersey commuters for months, with frequent service delays, last-minute cancellations and mechanical failure.
The problems could become a transit disaster on a world stage as soccer fans from all over the planet descend on the Big Apple for the World Cup match at MetLife Stadium in which Brazil will face off against Morocco Saturday.
France and Senegal play at 3 p.m. Tuesday at MetLife and more games are scheduled at the East Rutherford complex through July.
