On weekday evenings, Metro shuts down operations around midnight. Wednesday night/Thursday morning, the Washington Capitals' 2-1 loss to the New York Rangers extended into three overtimes, ending at 12:14 a.m.
So that those fans in attendance were not stranded downtown, Metro decided to extend its service until 1 a.m. It was a nice gesture, but a nice gesture that will cost the Caps quite a bit of money.
In an email to The Washington Post, Metro spokesman Dan Stessel said that the cost of keeping Metro open later than normal is $29,500 per hour (the last train left Metro Center at 1:22 a.m.) Part of that bill will be sent to the Caps, while the rest of it will be paid for by revenue that Metro made during the extra rush.
Stessel said the Caps had an agreement with Metro that involved the transit agency staying open later if needed during the playoff season. Wednesday was the first time the agency had done so.
Meanwhile, the Washington Nationals do not have such an agreement. They host the Philadelphia Phillies Sunday in a nationally televised game at 8:05 p.m. According to Stessel, if that game goes late, "there are no plans for Metro to stay open beyond midnight."
You've been warned.
Sports
Adam Vingan is co-founder and editor of Kings Of Leonsis, a Caps-centric blog. Follow him on Twitter @Adam_KOL and e-mail your story ideas to adamvingan (at) gmail.com.
