Board at NRG Station after tonight’s game, and the Broad Street Line ride home is free until 11:59, courtesy of Fulton Bank.
If you are heading down to the Sixers home opener tonight, SEPTA has your ride home covered. The 76ers host the Cleveland Cavaliers at Xfinity Mobile Arena with a 7 p.m. tip, and after the game, Broad Street Line rides from NRG Station are free from 8 p.m. to 11:59 p.m., courtesy of Fulton Bank.
The fine print is simple. The free rides board only at NRG Station, and only on the Broad Street Line. Head down the steps after the final buzzer, and trains run north through Center City to the end of the line at Fern Rock Transit Center. For fans coming from the Northeast, that is the whole trip home handled, whether you parked at Fern Rock or connect there. Coming in, the Market-Frankford Line and the trolleys transfer free to the Broad Street Line at 15th Street and City Hall, and bus routes 4 and 45 run direct to the stadiums.
Getting there gets a boost too. SEPTA is running Sports Express trains before the game, leaving Fern Rock at 6:10, 6:20, and 6:30 p.m., making selected stops to Walnut-Locust and then running straight to NRG. Local trains make every stop in between, and SEPTA says regularly scheduled trains will run about every eight minutes, so nobody has to plan their night around one departure. SEPTA also suggests its SEPTA Park app for parking and trip planning, and contactless payment works across the system if you are boarding anywhere other than NRG on the way home.
The timing helps. The Sixers come home hot, after a 106 to 100 win over the Knicks in New York on Tuesday night, with Tyrese Maxey scoring a game-high 28 points. Tonight’s game is on national television, ESPN, which means a full building and a busy platform when it lets out. A free, frequent ride up Broad Street is exactly the right answer to that crowd.
One catch. The free window closes at 11:59 p.m. sharp. So if the game runs long, enjoy the win, take the picture, and get moving. The train home is free, but only if you are on it.
