Midway through the city’s World Cup experience, MBTA General Manager and Interim MassDOT Secretary Phillip Eng touted the “unprecedented” logistics of his agency’s transit services.

During an interview with WCVB’s “On the Record,” Eng said service since the start of the tournament has gone smoothly.

He described how the last three years while he’s been at the helm of the MBTA, the agency has been “rebuilding” and that had the World Cup come to Massachusetts three years ago, they wouldn’t have been able to provide the service they’re doing now.

“It is really a 24/7 effort on a normal day, but what we’re doing is really unprecedented,” Eng said.

During the first match, special World Cup Commuter Rail tickets sold out. In three hours, the MBTA moved 20,000 riders, the equivalent of what South Station sees during an entire weekday, he said.

That match played by Scotland and Haiti came with more challenges because it was so late; it started at 9 p.m.and went past 11 p.m.

To accommodate riders getting into South Station so late, bus and subway service ran 24/7 for the first time in the MBTA’s history. For all the other games, T service will be available until 2 a.m.

The earlier games also spread out the waves of spectators looking to get back on the train, with some visitors choosing to stay in Foxborough after a match rather than rush back to Boston, he said.

Still, the agency has committed to an “after-action” review for each event to see if adjustments can be made.

Overall, the MBTA has sold about 75% of the tickets available, Eng said, defending the $80 round-trip price tag — four times what the agency charges for event tickets for Patriots games.

Eng said the tickets not only gets spectators to and from the games and Boston, they also give them access to the whole network as an all-day pass.

“It gives people more options,” he said.

Eng also noted that the MBTA was not making a profit on the marked-up fares.

“Our operational costs far exceed what we’re making on those event tickets,” he said, “but you know, that’s why we’re here, we’re a public agency, to deliver for the public.”

©2026 MediaNews Group, Inc.
Visit at bostonherald.com.
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.