Andrew Grahl/photography by the author
With the FIFA World Cup 2026 tournament in North America, NJ Transit faced the challenge of transporting soccer fans from around the world to the 82,000-seat, MetLife Stadium in the Meadowlands, located in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Eight games, including the Final on July 19, were held in MetLife Stadium, renamed NYNJ Stadium for the duration of the tournament. The games in NYNJ Stadium included Brazil vs. Morocco on June 13, 2026; France vs. Senegal, June 16, Norway vs. Senegal, June 22, Ecuador vs Germany, June 25, England vs. Panama, June 27, France vs. Sweden, June 30, Norway vs. Brazil, July 5, and Spain vs. Argentina in the World Cup Final, July 19, where Spain defeated Argentina to win the Cup in a 1-0 game in overtime play.
NJ Transit ALP45DP 4526, NJT’s America 250th Anniversary unit, leads a FIFA World Cup train from Secaucus Junction to NYNJ stadium for the France vs. Senegal match, Tuesday, June 16, 2026. On this day, all but one FIFA shuttle trains were wrapped.
Up to four hours before each match, and for three hours after, trains and station areas were closed to regular customers at Secaucus Junction and part of Penn Station, New York City to safely accommodate the large number of customers. This meant regular NJT rail riders were turned away from Secaucus Junction station; Main Line, Bergen County Line and Pascack Valley Line trains ran express through the station to and from Hoboken. Secaucus Junction was strictly for FIFA World Cup ticket holders.
Eastbound NJ Transit ALP-46A 4651 is about to make the Secaucus Junction station stop, Tuesday, June 16, 2026. Travelers were headed to the France vs. Senegal FIFA World Cup match which France won 3-1. NJT Police and employees metered the soccer fans down to the platforms for trains to prevent overcrowding.
Special shuttle trains ran from Secaucus Junction to “NYNJ Stadium” for the tournament. Only FIFA ticket holders could purchase NJT rail tickets to access the stadium. Tickets purchased in advance were available for only 40,000 customers each match day. No tickets could be purchased on game day at stations or on board trains…
