Metro News Release

For immediate release: October 3, 2005

Metro takes fans to Nationals home games

How did nearly one million Washington Nationals fans get to RFK Stadium for games during the team’s inaugural season"

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From the first pitch on April 14 to the last out on October 2, Nationals fans took 1.8 million trips on Metrorail. The 81 home games averaged 11,400 riders per game and about 45 percent of game attendees.

Stadium-Armory Metrorail station, adjacent to RFK Stadium, was the most heavily used station taking fans to home games throughout the season. Potomac Avenue and Eastern Market Metrorail stations saw increased traffic on game days as well.

"Metro has a distinguished history of providing safe, reliable and convenient transportation service for large events throughout the region," said Metro CEO and General Manager Richard A. White. "We are proud to have been able to take almost a million people to see the Washington Nationals during the team’s first season in the nation’s capital."

Throughout the season, Metrorail ran additional service to take the large crowds to and from RFK Stadium. Extra trains, including many eight-car trains, were put into service in the hours leading up to and following games. Metro employees including train operators, station managers, rail supervisors, safety officials, Metro Transit Police officers and employees who volunteered their time, staffed busy stations on game days to help fans with directions, fare information, riding tips and crowd control.

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News release issued on October 3, 2005.