Metro service after Capitals’ Game 4 extended at last minute

Metro service leaving three stations near Capital One Arena will be extended by an hour Thursday night after all, thanks to a surprising last-minute arrangement.

WMATA announced Thursday afternoon that after the Washington Capitals’ Game 4 against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Eastern Conference Finals, fans who wish to use public transit after 11:30 p.m. will be able to leave from one of three stations: Gallery Place-Chinatown, Metro Center or Judiciary Square.

It was reported Wednesday that a deal to keep Metro open from 11:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. after the Capitals game fell through. The nation of Qatar was going to foot the $100,000 bill, but reportedly changed the terms of the agreement at the last minute.

WMATA’s press release on the matter said the Downtown D.C. Business Improvement District is paying the $100,000 fee to extend service, but a tweet from Mayor Muriel Bowser’s official Twitter account makes it sound like the D.C. BID and Qatar will split the cost:

Qatar and the @DowntownDCBID teamed up years ago to deliver City Center DC. Today, they’re doing it again to deliver late night Metro service to Caps fans. Beat the rain and Lightning, take Metro and let’s #GoCaps! @Amb_AlThani @QatarEmbassyUSA #ALLCAPS

— Mayor Muriel Bowser (@MayorBowser) May 17, 2018

Game 4 is scheduled to start at 8 p.m.

Neil Albert, the president and CEO of the Downtown D.C. BID, told The Washington Times that the Embassy of Qatar paid the full $100,000 fee in the form of a donation to the BID.

“Officials from the city reached out to the BID to explore ways of making late-night service possible,” Albert said. “The BID agreed to act in the intermediary role it played today to ensure Washington Capitals fans, employees and visitors to downtown D.C. can utilize Metrorail service beyond the culmination of tonight’s Caps game.”