PATH

PATH (Port Authority Trans-Hudson) is a rapid transit railway operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, running a roughly 25-mile network of four lines connecting Manhattan to Newark, Jersey City, and Hoboken in Hudson County, New Jersey. The system carries over 75 million passengers per year (approximately 75,000 per weekday under normal conditions). PATH is distinct from NJ Transit, Amtrak, and the New York City Subway — it operates its own rolling stock, ticketing, and stations, most of which are underground.

For the 2026 FIFA World Cup, PATH was designated as the overflow commuter route during the periods when Penn Station to Secaucus Junction services are reserved for World Cup ticket holders. The NY/NJ Host Committee confirmed that regular commuters will be diverted onto PATH trains at no extra fare for the four-hour shutdown window before each of the eight MetLife Stadium matches. PATH does not serve MetLife directly; fans using PATH must still transfer to NJ Transit or other connections — most commonly at Newark Penn Station — making it a partial mitigation rather than a direct stadium link.

Transportation planners' reliance on PATH as the primary commuter relief valve has drawn scrutiny: the system's capacity was not designed to absorb a simultaneous surge of displaced commuters during peak World Cup match windows, particularly during the Monday 22 June (Norway vs Senegal) closure, which coincides with the evening rush. The adequacy of PATH's overflow role remains an open question ahead of the June tournament opening.