SEPTA Adds Service for Army-Navy Game
The Army-Navy game, a longstanding rivalry and the traditional end to the college football regular season, is back in Philadelphia for its 116th edition this Saturday, and the usual huge crowds are expected to pack Lincoln Financial Field to see whether the Navy Midshipmen can extend their 13-game winning streak against the Army Black Knights. (ESPN will be there too, broadcasting College GameDay from Philadelphia for the second time this year.)
SEPTA stands at the ready to serve the crowds with extra service on both the Broad Street and Market-Frankford lines.
Starting at 9:05 a.m. on Saturday, express trains will run every 10 to 15 minutes on the Broad Street Line, making the usual express stops between Fern Rock and Walnut-Locust before proceeding nonstop to AT&T Station. (For non-regular riders, the intermediate express stations are Erie, Girard, Spring Garden, Race-Vine and City Hall.) When combined with the regular Saturday local trains plus extra local runs between Girard and AT&T stations, these trains will provide service between Center City and the Linc every 5 to 8 minutes until kickoff at 3:05 p.m.
Extra trains will also operate on the Market-Frankford Line, providing local service in both directions every 5 to 10 minutes starting at 8 a.m. Riders should transfer to the Broad Street Line southbound at 15th Street/City Hall station.
After the game, additional local and express Broad Street Line trains will run northbound from AT&T station to return fans to Center City and points beyond.
Regional Rail trains will operate on their normal Saturday schedules. Regional Rail riders headed to the game can transfer to southbound Broad Street trains at either Fern Rock Transportation Center via direct connection or Suburban Station via the Penn Center concourses to 15th/City Hall. Parking is free at all SEPTA Regional Rail station lots on the weekend.
To avoid lines on the return trip, SEPTA recommends passengers purchase their fares in advance from any SEPTA sales outlet. Fans coming from out of town to attend the game should consider purchasing an Independence Pass for their journeys. Independence Passes allow unlimited travel on the entire SEPTA system for the day. A single pass costs $12, and a family pass good for up to five people (one of which must, but no more than two of which may, be 18 years of age or older) costs $29. (Those coming from New Jersey via Regional Rail pay an additional $5 per single pass or $15 per family pass.)
For more information about Army-Navy service, visit the SEPTA website, call 215-580-7800 or send Tweets to @SEPTA_SOCIAL.
Follow Sandy Smith on Twitter.