Testifying before a Pennsylvania House Democratic Policy Committee hearing in Philadelphia, SEPTA General Manager Scott Sauer warned that the NFL opener could be severely affected by the cuts.
"The opener on September 4th, just to put it bluntly, will be chaotic," Sauer said.
SEPTA expects significant delays for fans traveling to and from Lincoln Financial Field, especially after the game.
The agency typically runs 10 additional trains to accommodate the 14,000 to 17,000 fans who leave the stadium within an hour.
That number will now drop to just four.
"All those extra trips are out. We can't run any extra service. There are 10 extra trips before the game and 10 after that are out," said SEPTA spokesperson Andrew Busch.
Watch: House Democratic Policy Committee hearing on Safety & Security in 2026, hosted by Rep. Sean Dougherty
The transit agency also cautioned that other major events could be affected, including potential Phillies playoff games, concerts, and next June's FIFA World Cup soccer tournament.
Sauer noted that projections estimate an additional 500,000 people will be in the city during the tournament, with only a third attending matches.
"They need a way to move around and without a robust and effective mass transit network that we already have, I don't know how that's possible," Sauer said.
RELATED: SEPTA service cuts could add 275,000 vehicles to local roads, experts warn
Widespread impacts on roads if SEPTA goes through with cuts
SEPTA is currently in discussions with city officials to plan for these contingencies. Meanwhile, there is hope that a funding agreement will be reached to address the agency's $213 million budget shortfall.
"What we're going to have to do before the game is make sure our customers know the expectations," Busch told Action News Investigative Reporter Chad Pradelli.
SEPTA is working on ways to communicate the changes and their impact on major events.
Officials are urging people to utilize their website at SEPTA.org and the SEPTA app.
New SEPTA schedules reflecting service cuts as of August 24:
-Fall bus and metro schedule changes HERE
-Fall Regional Rail schedule changes HERE
RELATED: Coverage of the upcoming SEPTA cuts at 6abc.com/CommuterCrisis