WASHINGTON — Metro will remain open an extra hour Thursday night to accommodate Capitals fans leaving Capital One Arena.
The government of Qatar and the Downtown DC Business Improvement District worked out an agreement to foot the bill, Mayor Muriel Bowser said Thursday.
Metro confirmed that the system would be open until 12:30 a.m., after Game 4 between the Washington Capitals and Tampa Bay Lightning.
The Capitals had declined to pay the $100,000 deposit that Metro now requires for an extra hour of service. Whoever pays the money is given the proceeds from any fares paid during the additional service, and teams such as the Nationals have relied on outside sponsors interested in publicity to pay for the extra hours. Metro has kept service running later on its own or with a sponsor in the past for nights such as New Year’s Eve.
The government of Qatar had agreed in principle earlier in the week to fund the extra hour of service for Game 4, but was concerned about legal technicalities in the agreement.
By providing the money to the business improvement district, which can then pay Metro, the issues appear to have been addressed. Metro announced the extra hour of service as being funded by the business improvement district, although Bowser made clear that the government of Qatar remained the true financial backer.
Earlier in the week, Pepco’s parent company paid for an extra hour of service after Game 3 of the series against the Lightning.
Since last June, Metro has closed at 11:30 p.m. on weeknights, 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday nights and only run 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Sundays.
With the extended hours Thursday, the last trains will leave Gallery Place-Chinatown toward Glenmont at 12:38 a.m., toward Shady Grove at 12:32 a.m., toward Branch Avenue at 12:28 a.m., toward Greenbelt at 12:48 a.m. and toward Huntington at 12:19 a.m.
The last trains from Metro Center on the Blue, Orange and Silver Lines will leave toward Franconia-Springfield at 12:28 a.m., toward Largo Town Center at 12:27 a.m., toward New Carrollton at 12:20 a.m., toward Vienna at 12:36 a.m., and toward Wiehle-Reston East at 12:21 a.m.
After the regular last train time at a given station, riders will only be able to enter at Gallery Place, at the 11th and G streets Northwest at Metro Center, and the F Street Northwest entrance at Judiciary Square. Riders will be able to exit at all stations.
Metro is in discussions with a separate group to fund an additional hour of service after Monday’s Game 6 if the series goes that far, Metro Board Chairman Jack Evans said.
