SEPTA, FanDuel partner to provide sports express service for Eagles-Cowboys game
The Philadelphia Eagles are back Thursday night, and so are SEPTA sports express trains — at least for one night.
SEPTA and FanDuel have partnered to bring back sports express trains on the Broad Street Line for Thursday night's NFL season opener between the Super Bowl LIX champions and the Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field.
The sponsorship also comes with free Broad Street Line rides home for fans, beginning at halftime.
SEPTA will run express trains every 10 minutes in addition to local service before Thursday's game. After the game, SEPTA will have 10 express trains and six local trains operating over a period of 70 minutes.
"We appreciate FanDuel and SEPTA for collaborating to help provide Eagles fans with convenient transportation to-and-from our home opener," Eagles President Don Smolenski said in a statement. "Their generous support will assist fans in getting to Lincoln Financial Field so that we can all enjoy the Championship Moment together as we take on the division rival Dallas Cowboys."
The sponsorship covers just the Eagles vs. Cowboys game on Thursday at the Linc, meaning for future Birds games, Phillies games and other events at the sports complex, SEPTA will not offer the express service.
Sports express subways were among the first round of services cut by SEPTA in August due to a funding crisis.
Fans headed to and leaving the sports complex after games are accustomed to express service on the Broad Street Line, but SEPTA no longer offers the service. Under normal circumstances, SEPTA would run 10 express trains for Eagles home games.
In July, SEPTA General Manager Scott Sauer said normally, the transit authority can transport between 14,000 and 17,000 fans out of the sports complex in about an hour, using about 12 to 14 trains.
Those trains are no longer running on a normal schedule. Instead, the transit authority is running local service only with fewer trains, leading to longer wait times and more crowded trains.
The sponsorship, however, will allow for the service to return only for Thursday night. The Eagles' next home game is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 21, against the Los Angeles Rams, buying state lawmakers more time to get a deal done to fund mass transit.
"SEPTA is grateful to FanDuel for stepping up with this sponsorship to restore Sports Express service for the Eagles home opener," Sauer said in a statement. "This is a challenging time for SEPTA and our customers, but this partnership will ensure that Eagles fans have safe, clean, and reliable service to and from the game — and with the added bonus of free rides home."
Fans, lawmaker react to game day sponsorship
Eagles fans were relieved by the news on Wednesday.
"It's going to get a lot of people home safe, and it's going to prevent a whole lot of commotion from unleashing out here," fan Brian Ortiz said.
"They needed to do this bad because it really didn't make no sense," fan David Boston said.
State Sen. Frank Farry, who represents Bucks County, said he and others had been trying to line up a sponsorship from Uber.
"I personally used that line last year, so I know the importance of that line, and we're glad it's resolved. There is a lot more work to do on the SEPTA issue," Farry said.
Farry said while he's glad FanDuel stepped up, the focus should stay on everyday riders and a permanent solution.
"The regular folks just want to be able to get to work, get their kids to school," Farry said.