WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 15: Commuters board a Metrorail train at Union Station, March 15, 2016 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
Metrorail is extending service to midnight seven days a week starting Sunday, giving customers more time to ride as in-person work and nightlife resume for many people.
Metrorail’s hours were cut last March as the pandemic decreased ridership.
On weekends, riders will be able to travel on Metrorail for a flat $2 fare for each trip, rather than the current distance-based fare. Sunday train service will begin an hour earlier, at 7 a.m.
The extended operating hours are the first in a package of service changes passed by Metro’s board of directors in June, adding add more all-day rail service and creating high-frequency bus routes.
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“Riders that work late, enjoy the region’s restaurants and nightlife or need to get to and from places at night will now have more flexibility with trains running longer every night,” General Manager Paul Wiedefeld said in a statement.
Metro resumed late-night bus service to 2 a.m. in June on 36 routes and increased the frequency of buses on high-demand routes.
More bus and rail service changes will follow in September. Trains will run more frequently all day, with service on Friday and Saturday running until 1 a.m. Last train times vary by station.
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The service improvements in the fall will coincide with additional fare changes aimed at making Metro easier and more affordable to ride. Metro will lower the price of a seven-day regional bus pass and offer a 50% discounted promotional fare on all pass products for 30 days. Bus transfers will be free for customers who connect between bus and rail.
Metro will provide more information later this summer on fare and service changes.
