By Frank Pingue and Ed White
June 3 (Reuters) - The 2026 World Cup is soccer's biggest stage, and for some of North America's rail and bus operators it will be a critical audition.
With airfares and gasoline prices rising, airport security lines stretching to infuriating lengths, and 104 World Cup matches in 16 cities spread across four time zones in the United States, Mexico and Canada, some ground transportation companies say they are warming up to win the hearts of a new audience.
"We want you to
be able to use our system seamlessly from the minute you decide to come to the World Cup, all the way into the games, and after that to get home," said Conan Cheung, chief operations officer for LA Metro, the public transportation authority that serves the Los Angeles region.
The event is a chance to show foreign visitors that the Californian city - which will host eight matches, including the U.S. opener - is more than congested freeways. But it is also a way to pull more native Angelenos onto its growing public transport system, Cheung said.
That's something public transport advocates have long called for in the U.S. and Canada, where shared transit infrastructure can be sparse and locals reluctant to leave behind their cars.
"Transit providers have an opportunity to provide service to a group of people who do not typically use transit on a day-to-day basis," said Yonah Freemark, a principal research associate at the Washington-based Urban Institute. "Many of the World Cup fans coming from the U.S. or Canada do not necessarily use transit services regularly."
That means the stakes are high for companies to ensure a positive experience for riders, said Freemark.
"They should be making sure that the services they provide are high quality and not too expensive, because the people who are riding them are going to form an impression of those transit agencies — and there's a chance to really prove that they can provide a good service."
TRICKY BALANCING ACT FOR GROUND OPERATORS
However, the challenge for many transportation operators is that they have limited capacity and potential customers may simply not find room on match day.
While soaring airline costs present a rare opportunity to lure travelers onto rails and roads, ground operators are also grappling with rising fuel costs and might need to pass on some of those to customers.
That presents a tricky balancing act for transit operators, said Freemark. They want to bring in new customers but not anger the everyday commuters and regular users who rely on these services long after the final whistle blows.
FlixBus, along with sister brand Greyhound, offers World Cup fans one of the largest transportation networks in North America. It said it is experiencing strong demand for bus travel between tournament cities, with some departures already sold out and others filling quickly.
Ahead of the World Cup, FlixBus said it has invested heavily in new buses and the latest technology while also focusing on making sure buses depart and arrive on time.
"What is critical here is every Flix experience needs to be a happy one. That's how we actually grow our business. And this is a great opportunity," said Flix North America CEO Kai Boysan.
"We will welcome all the new customers and we want them to see what a change we've done and what a great experience they're going to have."
TRAVELERS ARE 'LOOKING FOR ALTERNATIVES'
FlixBus says travelers may favor buses over planes because buses typically offer a more affordable, direct way to get between city centers.
"Airports are congested and the costs are rising. And clearly travelers are naturally looking for alternatives. And there we come into effect," said Boysan.
But not all ground transportation options are proving affordable.
NJ Transit attracted the kind of attention it doesn't want this year when it announced that the approximately 30-minute train ride from Manhattan to the New Jersey stadium that will host eight matches, including the July 19 final, would cost $150 for the round-trip. It's a journey that typically costs less than $13.
NJ Transit says it needs to cover $48 million in extra costs for security, crowd control and other World Cup impacts.
After much outrage, NJ Transit reduced the fare to a still hefty $98, saying it had managed to find more advertising to cover its costs. Meanwhile, a shuttle bus on the same route has been chopped to $20 from the originally announced $80 as the host committee turned to local school buses to increase seats.
In Boston, round-trip rail tickets from the city center to the stadium used for seven World Cup matches will cost $80, compared to the usual $20 to $30. A bus ride will be $95.
U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, has said FIFA should do more.
"Charging more than 11 times the normal fare for a train ride is a ripoff, plain and simple. FIFA is making billions from this World Cup," said Schumer in a statement after the original price for the ride to New Jersey's MetLife Stadium was announced.
"FIFA should cover the ride, not stick New York fans with the bill."
FIFA has said high transit fares would push fans to seek other ways of getting to the stadium, and that other similar events have not led to demands that organizations provide travel impact funding.
PHILADELPHIA OFFERING FREE RIDES HOME FROM MATCHES
Not all local operators have raised prices.
"Our regular fare is $1.75, so people will be able to pay that," said Cheung of LA Metro. "We will honor all of the discounts we have."
In Philadelphia, which is hosting six matches, fans will pay $2.90 for the train to get to the match and receive a free ride home, courtesy of sponsor Airbnb.
U.S. national rail carrier Amtrak said it was gearing up for fans to travel between cities for matches.
"We are fully committed to running a world-class railroad ... and ensuring our infrastructure is ready to accommodate new and returning guests," said W. Kyle Anderson, director of communications for Amtrak.
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto and Ed White in Winnipeg, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)
