The Washington Nationals' playoff game Thursday night likely will not end by the time Metro is scheduled to end service at midnight -- and there's no plan for trains to keep running later.
Metro general manager Paul Wiedefeld told News4 Wednesday morning that he knows it's difficult, but he will not keep Metro open late Thursday night. The game is scheduled to start at 8 p.m.
"It's a tough one, but think of the tens of thousands of people that have been impacted over the last few months," he said.
Metro has refused to extend service for the Marine Corps Marathon and other "worthy" events, a representative said.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan and Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe were asked at an event Wednesday morning how thousands of Nats fans could get home after the sold-out game. They could not point to any specific plan.
"Nats fans are amazingly persistent and creative, and we know they're going to plan ahead," Bowser said.
The team advised fans to think ahead about how they will get home.
"As fans know, Metro SafeTrack is in effect. Fans are strongly encouraged to consider alternate ways to get to and from the ballpark tomorrow night, particularly after the game – which may end after Metro has closed," a news release issued Wednesday said.
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The Nationals are advising fans to use ride-hailing services, the DC Circulator bus, the boat from Old Town Alexandria, or to bike.
The Nationals approached the transit agency about staying open late, but Metro refused to budge, WAMU reported.
As for whether Metro would stay open late if the Nationals made it to the World Series, Wiedefeld said maybe. He'll "cross that bridge" if the team and Metro come to it, he said.
For details on how to get to and from the game, see Metro's website or the Nationals' website. The Nationals' site has details on the designated pickup locations for Lyft and Uber cars.
Stay with News4 for more details on this developing story.
