TRANSIT SERVICE GUIDE — TRANSPORTATION & MOBILITY
Going to Karol G at MetLife? Rockland rail riders need an early return plan.
NJ Transit is running Meadowlands shuttle trains for the September 17 and 18 concerts, but there is no direct stadium train from a Rockland-serving line. The trip requires a Secaucus transfer, a wristband and—on the way home—attention to a cutoff that comes well before the final stadium shuttle for some riders.
Save these four things
- Transfer: change at Secaucus Junction for the Meadowlands shuttle; no other rail line runs directly to the stadium.
- Going in: shuttles leave Secaucus from 4:26 p.m. through 8:45 p.m.
- Ticket: buy the round trip from the originating station to Meadowlands Station before boarding.
- Wristband: show the Meadowlands ticket at Secaucus, receive the required wristband and keep it on for the return shuttle.
The return cutoff depends on the line and night
NJ Transit says the final shuttle from Meadowlands Station will not leave before 1 a.m. That sounds generous, but it is not the safe deadline for every Rockland rider: the last useful stadium departure is the one that still connects to the last westbound train at Secaucus.
Those are the NJ Transit departures from Meadowlands Station that riders must make to protect the listed westbound connection. End-of-event shuttle times can move with crowd volume, and the timetable says additional service may operate after 1 a.m. if necessary. Neither statement promises a later Rockland-line connection.
How the wristband works
At Secaucus, riders receive a wristband after showing an NJ Transit ticket to Meadowlands Station. NJ Transit says only riders with wristbands may board the stadium-bound trains, and the wristband must also be worn to board the return shuttle.
Someone who reaches MetLife Stadium another way but wants the train afterward may buy a shuttle wristband at tents next to the stadium station beginning 2½ hours before the concert. That wristband covers only Meadowlands–Secaucus travel. A separate NJ Transit ticket is still required for the rest of the trip.
Buy before boarding
NJ Transit advises concertgoers to buy a round-trip ticket from their originating station to Meadowlands Station before traveling. A ticket purchased aboard a train carries a $5 surcharge per ticket.
The official one-page timetable lists frequent end-of-event shuttles, but it is a Meadowlands schedule—not a complete itinerary from every Rockland station. Use the NJ Transit trip planner ↗ for the originating train and recheck live rail status ↗ before leaving.
One separate Main Line train moves 10 minutes later
Main Line Train 1225, normally scheduled to leave Hoboken at 6:20 p.m., is scheduled to leave at 6:30 p.m. on September 17 and 18 because of increased Meadowlands rail traffic. NJ Transit says it will make all station stops 10 minutes later than usual. That notice applies to Train 1225—not every Bergen County or Port Jervis trip.
Check access again on concert day
At 2:56 p.m. Wednesday, NJ Transit listed Main/Bergen County and Pascack Valley service on time. It also listed both Ramsey Route 17 elevators and all seven Secaucus rail elevators in service. Those conditions can change, so a rider who needs a step-free path should recheck the elevator-status page ↗ before traveling.
What changes for a resident: a Rockland concertgoer using the Pascack Valley, Bergen County or Port Jervis rail path must change at Secaucus, obtain and keep a Meadowlands wristband, and leave the stadium in time for the last westbound connection for that line.
Primary sources: NJ Transit September 17–18 Meadowlands service advisory ↗; the official one-page event timetable ↗; Main Line Train 1225 advisory ↗; live rail status ↗; and elevator status ↗. Event rules, times, Rockland-line cutoffs, live status and listed elevator availability were checked September 16, 2026, at 2:56 p.m. EDT. Recheck before travel; The Rockland Edit cannot guarantee a held connection, unchanged platform or live accessibility condition.