Metro News Release
For immediate release: April 10, 2008
Metro offers commemorative one-day rail pass for April 17 Papal Mass
Attendees encouraged to purchase farecards early
Individuals planning to take Metrorail to next week’s Papal Mass at Nationals Park are encouraged to purchase the One Day Metrorail Mass Pass ahead of time to ease their travel to and from the Mass on Thursday, April 17.
The $9 commemorative Mass Pass is a paper fare card that can be used for unlimited travel on Metrorail from the 5 a.m. opening to midnight closing on April 17 only. The regular one-day pass costs $7.80, but cannot be used before 9:30 a.m. on weekdays.
The Mass Pass is available at Metro sales offices at Metro Center, the Pentagon Transit Center and Metro headquarters.
In addition, Metro will hand-sell the special passes on Wednesday, April 16, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the Farragut West Metrorail station and 4 to 8 p.m. at the Brookland-CUA Metrorail station, and on Thursday, April 17, from 5 to 8 a.m. at the Branch Ave, Columbia Heights, Franconia-Springfield, Navy Yard, Vienna and Shady Grove Metrorail stations. Cash is the only form of payment that will be accepted.
Because Metro anticipates carrying large crowds to the Navy Yard Metrorail station for the Papal Mass, attendees are encouraged to buy the Mass Pass or regular fare cards with enough for a round trip, or have enough value on their SmarTrip cards for a roundtrip fare ahead of time to avoid long lines at farecard machines in stations on the day of the Mass.
To help Mass attendees get to Nationals Park for the service by Metrorail or Metrobus, Metro has created a special Web site (www.wmata.com/papalvisit) and commemorative brochure. The Web site and brochure provide information about getting to the mass on bus and rail, purchasing the Mass Pass or regular fare cards, and parking. The brochure is available online and in Metro stations. In addition, a printable version of the brochure in Spanish and French can be found online.
News release issued at 1:37 pm, April 10, 2008.