March 04, 2026
Thom Carroll/for PhillyVoice
SEPTA is receiving $5.5 million in federal funding to enhance service for the World Cup. The transit authority expects it will cost $21.5 million to increase service and security for the World Cup and the events celebrating the nation's 250th anniversary this summer.
With the World Cup fast-approaching, SEPTA is finalizing service plans for the six matches scheduled at Lincoln Financial Field and the FIFA FanFest that will take over Lemon Hill in Fairmount Park.
To help cover the costs of ramping up service, SEPTA is getting about $5.5 million from the Federal Transit Administration as part of a larger set of awards given to the nation's 11 host cities. SEPTA's share comes from $8.47 million awarded to strengthen and expand transit capacity in the Philadelphia region as a whole.
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"We're thrilled to get the assistance," SEPTA spokesperson Andrew Busch said Wednesday. "It's a significant help with the expenses that we're going to incur for the World Cup and the other 2026 events."
SEPTA's full summer transit plan, including service for events tied to the nation's 250th anniversary, is expected to be released around the middle of spring.
"We are going to pull out all the stops to serve those big events – while also not missing a beat for our riders who rely on SEPTA every day," SEPTA General Manager Scott Sauer said in a statement.
SEPTA estimates the total cost to increase service this summer will be about $21.5 million. Most of that will be overtime pay for operators and transit police. There also will be added costs for extending service hours, cleaning vehicles, installing more signage and hiring ambassadors to help people navigate the city.
"It's kind of an interesting dynamic because you're going to have people coming in probably from a lot of countries where they're used to having more transit," Busch said. "Whether it's bigger systems or just the way that things are, they rely more on transit. We want to make sure that we're making a good impression."
SEPTA also plans to increase security by deploying more surveillance equipment and making upgrades to stations with the most ridership.
The six World Cup matches at the Linc take place between June 14 and July 4. The final match, a Round of 16 contest, coincides with citywide holiday celebrations.
For each match, SEPTA expects ridership on the Broad Street Line to be similar to an Eagles game. About 17,000 people rode the subway for a typical game last season, and that number was a bit higher for the team's playoff game in January. Busch said the World Cup likely will bring more people to the Sports Complex for fan events and activities surrounding the stadium.
SEPTA usually adds 10 extra trips to its Broad Street Line schedule before and after Eagles games. Busch said that probably will happen for each World Cup match, too.
The FIFA FanFest, a five-week-long festival at Lemon Hill, is expected to attract as many as 25,000 people each day for World Cup watch parties. Philadelphia Soccer 2026, the city's World Cup host committee, is still finalizing plans and hours of operation for the festival.
"We're going to have to have a shuttle-type service to get folks out there, as opposed to just beefing up an existing line, because we're going to want to get folks to a specific spot," Busch said.
The federal money supports SEPTA's operational budget, which has been under strain for several years due to funding uncertainties, but SEPTA also has fast-tracked a number of projects in its capital budget to prepare for the summer.
NRG Station, the final stop at the south end of the Broad Street Line, is getting a roof replacement and a new station platform this spring. City Hall station's platform is being resurfaced and new lighting is being installed. Fern Rock Transportation Center in Olney is being upgraded, and on the Market-Frankford Line, several improvement projects are planned at Second Street Station.
"I think everybody's probably familiar with our our budget challenges, but we do think that we've budgeted well for these events," Busch said.
