Metro News Release

For immediate release: April 11, 2013

Wednesday was fourth busiest day in Metrorail history

If Metrorail seemed a bit busier than usual yesterday, it wasn't your imagination.

Wednesday was the fourth busiest day in the 37-year history of Metrorail. Based on preliminary data, the system provided a total of 870,171 trips between 5 a.m. and midnight.

Metro officials attributed the especially busy day to the combination of Cherry Blossom visitors, a Nationals game, a Wizards game and a rally at the US Capitol.

It was the system's highest ridership day since April 2, 2010.

Metro General Manager and CEO Richard Sarles noted that growing ridership only increases the urgency of expanding the capacity of the system. Earlier this year, Metro unveiled its strategic plan -- called "Momentum" -- to expand the system's capacity and better serve the region's future needs. Among the projects set forth in Momentum are power upgrades, additional rail cars and new yard storage to support running 100 percent 8-car trains.

All of Metro's top-10 ridership days have occurred in the past five years.

Today could also see higher ridership, with favorable weather, the Cherry Blossoms in bloom, a Nationals game at 7:05 p.m. and a Capitals game at 7:00 p.m. As a result, riders may experience more crowded trains and stations during this evening's rush hour. Metro will provide extra Green Line trains between Mount Vernon Square and Anacostia stations during rush hour to accommodate baseball travel.

Travel Advice

  • Customers traveling to or from the National Mall should consider stations other than Smithsonian, which is especially busy at this time of year. Consider Arlington Cemetery, L'Enfant Plaza, Federal Center SW, Federal Triangle or Union Station as alternates.
  • To avoid lines, all customers are reminded to purchase and load farecards or SmarTrip cards in advance. Be sure to load enough fare value on the card for both directions of travel, and add $1 to the fare for each trip taken with a paper farecard.
  • Customers using SmarTrip pay $1 less for each trip than customers using paper fare cards. SmarTrip cards can be purchased at any Metrorail station or at local CVS, Giant and Safeway stores.
  • If a train is too crowded to board, please step back to the platform and allow the doors to close. Holding the doors can result in personal injury and can delay the train and all trains behind it.
  • When riding on escalators, please stand to the right.

 

News release issued at 9:24 am, April 11, 2013.