Problem-plagued NJ Transit will use 600-person boats to ferry World Cup fans to games in case of meltdown

Commuters could be up a creek — yet again!The problem-plagued New Jersey transit system are readying two massive boats to ferry World Cup fans across the Hudson River to games in case of a meltdown on the rails, officials said.The transportation agency — which normally only runs trains and buses — is turning to the Dunkirk-style backup plan with two 600-person vessels, New Jersey Transit CEO Kris Kolluri said at a press conference Wednesday evening.In the event of a fire or electrical disaster, throngs of soccer fans can board the boats in the Big Apple, then sail to Weehawken, where they’ll catch buses to the match at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford Saturday, he said.“We’re going to need a bigger boat,” Kolluri recalled telling a top aide after a recent fire at Penn Station, according to Politico.“[We ordered] two boats at Weehawken with a capacity of about 600 people a boat in case again there’s a failure on the Amtrak corridor,” Kolluri said at the press conference.The “contingency plan” comes after the beleaguered agency sparked outrage for initially charging a sky-high price of $150 for rides to the much-anticipated sporting event, then lowered it to $98.It also comes as commuters have been frustrated in recent weeks by stall-outs in the tunnel from Penn Station to New Jersey, including when a fire broke out at the major transit hub late last month.Kolluri on Wednesday shifted blame to Amtrak, citing the national railroad system as the main reason for needing backup boats.“It is no secret that the last couple weeks have been pretty rough on the Amtrak system,” he said.“They are the single point of failure if something were to happen on the system.”“Without Amtrak we will not be able to execute a proper plan for FIFA,” Kolluri said.Problems at Penn Station and on the dozens of miles of track surrounding it have frustrated New Jersey commuters for months, with frequent service delays, last-minute cancellations and mechan...