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On Wednesday, state House Democrats representing the Philadelphia area pushed for more SEPTA funding just hours after the sports-betting website FanDuel announced a gameday sponsorship to resume the Broad Street Line’s Sports Express trains for Thursday’s Eagles’ home opener.
The Super Bowl champions said the gambling company “stepped up to provide resources” so fans can use the express trains — to and from Lincoln Financial Field — which had been eliminated during the first round of SEPTA cuts two weeks ago.
Before the game, Sports Express trains will run every 10 minutes. Free rides from NRG Station begin at halftime and will continue through the end of service. SEPTA will have 10 express and six local trains to get fans home from NRG Station. Postgame trips will operate for roughly 70 minutes. Special service stops at Fern Rock, Olney, Girard, Spring Garden, Race-Vine, City Hall and Walnut-Locust stations before reaching NRG Station.
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The Democrats held their press conference outside NRG Station, calling on state Senate Republicans to return to the negotiating table as a state budget hang-up over transit funding continues more than two months past the deadline.
Members of the Philadelphia House Delegation speak
Members of the Philadelphia House Delegation held a press conference outside of NRG Station on Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2025, thanking FanDuel for helping provide Sports Express trains on the Broad Street Line for the Philadelphia Eagles home opener, while also criticizing Senate Republicans for the delays with transit funding. (Cory Sharber/WHYY)
Rep. Tarik Khan, D-Philadelphia, said he was thankful for FanDuel stepping in and noted that SEPTA cuts don’t just affect Eagles fans, but everyday people trying to get to work and school.
“We shouldn’t have to rely on a gambling company to fund our transit,” Khan said. “That should be the job of our legislature, and we’ve done the hard work in the House. And we think that SEPTA should be funded not just for one day, not for just eight Eagles home games and three or four playoff games when we go to the Super Bowl.”
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The Democrats pointed toward House Bill 1788, a measure that would increase the share of sales tax revenue used for both roads and mass transit funding in the state. While that passed the House, the Republican-led Senate approved an amendment to House Bill 257, adding $1.2 billion over two years into state public transit from unused capital money in the Public Transportation Trust Fund. Pennsylvania Democrats say using capital funds would negatively impact transit statewide.
Rep. Sean Dougherty, D-Philadelphia, who introduced HB 1788, expressed his thanks to FanDuel for helping with the express trains, but said, “We can’t gamble with the livelihoods of Pennsylvanians.”
“We have to stop this gamble. We have to, as our quarterback Jalen Hurts says, ‘Keep the main thing, the main thing.’ And the main thing is that we fund mass transit, we fund SEPTA, and I respectfully ask the Senate to get back to work and come up with a solution,” Dougherty said.
Sean Dougherty speaks
Rep. Sean Dougherty, D-Philadelphia, urged Senate Republicans to head back to the table and “come up with a solution” as the state budget is more than two months past its deadline, Sept. 3, 2025. (Cory Sharber/WHYY)
Amid the SEPTA cuts, a Philadelphia judge granted a temporary injunction halting fare increases and additional service cuts pending another hearing set for Sept. 4. The city also used funds to restore some SEPTA bus routes most used by students. Uber is also offering free rides to Philadelphia seniors in response to service cuts.
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