Metro Warns of Big Crowds for Evening Nats Game

Map It:  Navy Yard 

OPENING WEEKEND for the new Nationals stadium was a big test for Metro — one that most accounts say the transit agency passed. Tonight, however, comes an even bigger test: Transporting people to Nationals Park for a 7:10 p.m. game while simultaneously handling rush hour traffic.

That sound you heard on the rails this morning was Metro's trains doing some extra stretches for the big race.

Other preparations are a bit more concrete. Said a Metro press release:

Due to anticipated crowds on Monday evening, Metro will have additional station managers, rail supervisors, and Transit Police at the Gallery Place-Chinatown, L’Enfant Plaza and Navy Yard Metrorail station to assist customers with service questions, and how to get to and from the ballpark. Customers will be reminded to spread out along the platform to board six-and eight-car trains.

Metro reminds us that those who don't want to transfer to the Green Line can take the N22 bus from either Union Station on the Red Line or Eastern Market on the Blue and Orange lines. The bus will run every 10 minutes through 10:30 p.m., the transit agency says.

After the game, Metro says it plans to run "up to 10 extra trains on the Green Line, four extra trains on the Red Line, and five extra trains on the Orange and Blue lines to get people home."

Your intrepid blogger will be one of those riding Metro to the game this evening. I'll have a full report tomorrow.

Photo of stadium-goers heading home via Metro last month by Gerald Martineau/The Washington Post