For immediate release: June 28, 2018

Metro announces Mastercard sponsorship of late-night service following Major League Baseball All-Star Game, Home Run Derby

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MLB Partnership also includes Special Edition All-Star SmarTrip® Cards, FanFest Discounts for Metro riders

Metro today announced special late-night rail service following the T-Mobile Home Run Derby (Monday, July 16) and the 89th MLB All-Star Game presented by Mastercard (Tuesday, July 17). Mastercard is sponsoring the additional service, in partnership with Major League Baseball.

Fans attending either event are advised that the last trains will depart Navy Yard Station at 12:22 a.m. in the direction of Greenbelt and 12:48 a.m. in the direction of Branch Avenue OR 30 minutes after the end of the event, whichever is later. In the extra service period, only Navy Yard Station will be available for entry to the Metrorail system. All other stations will be exit only.

The agreement with Mastercard in partnership with MLB will cover the additional expenses associated with keeping the 234-mile, 91-station transit system open for the two nights to ensure that fans will be able to get home no matter what time the All-Star events end. Additionally, 200,000 SmarTrip® cards with All-Star Week designs will be loaded into specially marked vending machines, beginning with Navy Yard Station.

"Mastercard and Major League Baseball have partnered to connect baseball fans to their passion for the sport for over 20 years," said Cheryl Guerin, executive vice president, North America marketing and communications. "Knowing how important Metro is to the region, we were happy to step in with MLB to support extended service and help ensure that everyone attending the Home Run Derby and the All-Star Game has a truly Priceless experience."

MLB SmarTrip CardOn top of the additional Metro service and special edition All-Star SmarTrip® cards that this partnership provides, Metro riders have the ability to purchase discounted tickets to GEICO All-Star FanFest at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center via WMATA and MLB social media channels. With the Yellow/Green Line running through the Mt Vernon Sq/7th St-Convention Center Station, Metro is the convenient way to travel between FanFest and All-Star events in and around Nationals Park.

"The Midsummer Classic is one of the most exciting events of the year and this great partnership with Mastercard and Metro will make certain that fans in the ballpark get to see every last hit," said Marla Miller, MLB Senior Vice President, Special Events. "By extending our partnership beyond the additional Metro service to incorporate discounted FanFest tickets and special edition SmarTrip® cards, we're giving baseball fans even more reason to take Metro around D.C. to experience all of the All-Star events."

"We are excited to welcome the All-Star Game to Washington and to support all of the events with good transit service from start to finish," said Metro General Manager and CEO Paul J. Wiedefeld. "Whether you're going to FanFest at the Convention Center, PLAY BALL Park in The Yards or the Home Run Derby or All-Star Game at Nationals Park, Metro will be the way to go."

"We're planning for large crowds throughout MLB All-Star week, and the more transportation options our residents and visitors have access to, the better," said District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser. "Being able to get home safely after having a great day at MLB All-Star activities is priceless, and we want to thank the team at MasterCard for ensuring that our fans can have fun and travel safely during this exciting week of events."

Metro will also run additional trains on the Green Line to provide extra capacity for fans before the start of the Home Run Derby and All-Star Game.

In the event of a rain delay or extra innings, Metro will provide any updates regarding last train times through ballpark announcements, on Twitter ( @wmata and @metrorailinfo) and via MetroAlerts email and text messages. To sign up for MetroAlerts, visit wmata.com/metroalerts.

For Metro service information, visit wmata.com.

About Mastercard
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