NJ Transit adds 600-person boats as backup World Cup evacuation plan

NJ Transit is preparing two 600-person boats at Weehawken as an emergency backup for World Cup crowds at MetLife Stadium if rail service fails after matches, a contingency that underscores the agency’s reliability problems ahead of one of the region’s biggest transit events.

The plan is being framed as a postgame fallback, not a way to bring fans to the stadium before kickoff. NJ Transit CEO Kris Kolluri has described the ferry option as a response to a potential rail failure on the Amtrak corridor, with the boats intended to move passengers back toward New York if train service breaks down.

Backup plan for a major event

MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford is set to host World Cup matches this summer, including the final on July 19, 2026. NJ Transit expects to carry large crowds to and from the venue, and the ferry plan gives the agency another evacuation route if rail operations are disrupted after a game.

According to the reporting, the boats would be staged in Weehawken and used only in a meltdown scenario. The contingency is one-way and would not replace normal inbound service to the stadium.

Pricing backlash and reliability concerns

The ferry plan comes after months of criticism over NJ Transit’s World Cup transportation strategy. Earlier reporting focused on the agency’s high match-day fares, which drew complaints from fans and transit watchers.

That backlash has added to long-running concerns about NJ Transit’s reliability, especially around the rail corridor that serves the stadium. The new boat plan reflects how dependent the match-day operation remains on trains running as expected.

What remains unclear

Several details about the ferry contingency have not yet been publicly clarified, including which operator will run the boats, the exact trigger for activating the plan, and whether NJ Transit will publish passenger limits, schedules or security procedures.

For now, the agency’s message is simple: if the rail network fails after a World Cup match, two 600-person boats are being readied as a backup to help move fans out of Weehawken and back toward New York.