Metro Announces Changes for Tuesday Due to Veterans Day Concert

On Veterans Day, Tuesday, a major concert will be held on the National Mall that could draw up to 800,000 attendees -- larger than July 4 and many presidential inaugurations, according to a news release from Metro. Here’s more about the preparations for Tuesday, from the release:

Metro will make several service adjustments to maximize train capacity.

Download a printable Rider Guide for the event here. For information about the event, please see the Concert for Valor website.

Metro warns that if you’re going to the concert, you may experience very crowded trains and long waits to reenter the system after the concert ends.

Service on Veterans Day

• Stations: All stations will be open except Smithsonian, because it is located within the security zone for the concert.
• Hours: Metrorail will open at 5 a.m. and close at midnight. Selected stations near the National Mall will remain open after midnight until all passengers in line are accommodated.
• Trains: To allow for faster, more frequent direct service to and from the event, as well as more 8-car trains, Yellow Line trains will replace Blue Line trains on Tuesday.
• Schedule: Trains will start the day on a Saturday schedule (every 12 minutes), gradually ramping up to rush-hour service levels (every 2-3 minutes in most places) immediately before and after the concert.
• Buses: Metrobus service will run on a Saturday schedule with supplemental trips earlier and later in the day for those commuting to work. See your route timetable for details or use Trip Planner.
• Fares and Parking: Veterans Day is a federal holiday. Off-peak fares will be in effect all day. Parking will be free at all Metro-owned parking facilities.

Stations Near National Mall Open Late

The following nine (9) stations near the National Mall will remain open past midnight for concert attendees: Metro Center, Federal Triangle, L’Enfant Plaza, Archives, Gallery Place, Federal Center SW, Union Station, Judiciary Square and Capitol South. Riders must be in line by midnight. All other Metrorail stations will be available for “exit only” until the system closes.

Blue Line Turns Yellow for a Day

To provide the fastest, most direct trip for the greatest number of riders — and to provide longer, more frequent trains — on Veterans Day only, Metro will replace Blue Line trains with additional Yellow Line trains.

Why is this necessary?
An extraordinary event requires an extraordinary response to meet the needs of commuters and concert attendees. With hundreds of thousands of residents, active duty military and veterans expected to travel to the National Mall (especially the eastern
side of the Mall, near the Capitol), Metro is strategically using the trains it has to provide the traveling capacity necessary for everyone on Veteran’s Day.

A Yellow Line train gets Virginia riders to the concert 12 minutes faster than a Blue Line train. This, in turn, means that Metro can run trains more frequently and maximize space for other riders. Yellow trains will run as frequently as every three minutes before and after the event.

Arlington Cemetery will be accessible by train or bus.

Blue Line Alternatives

• Arlington Cemetery: Metro will provide both rail and bus service to Arlington Cemetery throughout the day. Special trains will run continuously from 5 a.m. until 7 p.m. between Arlington Cemetery and Reagan National Airport, making stops at Pentagon (Yellow Line transfer point), Pentagon City and Crystal City stations. Also, riders can take free shuttle bus service to Arlington Cemetery from either Rosslyn or Pentagon stations. Buses will depart every 12 minutes from 7 a.m. until 3 p.m.
• Traveling between Rosslyn & Pentagon: Riders traveling between Rosslyn and Pentagon have several options:
  • Take the Yellow and Orange/Silver lines instead. Transfer at L’Enfant Plaza.
  • Free shuttle bus service will run every 12 minutes from 5 a.m. to midnight between Rosslyn and Pentagon stations.
• Bus Service: Regular Metrobus and ART service may provide a good alternative for some riders. Check the Trip Planner at wmata.com and select the “bus only” option.

Know Before You Go

• The Concert for Valor is expected to draw up to 800,000 people to the National Mall. Be prepared for long lines, full trains and the possibility of intermittent delays as Metro safely serves travelers to the concert as well as other riders.

• Before traveling to the concert, please consider your ability to walk, stand, and tolerate coole temperatures for extended periods of time. Dress appropriately.

• Bicycles, large coolers or containers will not be permitted on Metrorail at any time on Veterans Day.

• Prohibited items at the concert include alcohol, bicycles, explosives/fireworks, glass containers, coolers, animals (except service animals), weapons, and more. Be sure to check the event website for a complete list. If in doubt about whether an item will be permitted, it is best to leave it home.

• For your safety, any bag, package or container carried into the Metrorail system may be subject to random, non-invasive security screening by Metro Transit Police.

• While on Metro, if you see something, say something! Report suspicious activity or unattended items to Metro Transit Police. Call 202-962-2121 or text MyMTPD (696873). In an emergency, you may also call 911.

Getting There

• Plan your trip so that you do not have to transfer between rail lines by selecting a destination station on the same line as your origin. There is a station near the Mall on every line. Return to the same station after the concert.
  
• Smithsonian Station will be closed all day on Veterans Day. Use other stations near the Mall, such as Metro Center, Gallery Place, L’Enfant Plaza, Archives, Federal Center SW, Federal Triangle, Union Station, Judiciary Square or Capitol South.

• Downtown D.C. is pedestrian and bicycle friendly. Consider walking or biking up to two miles to avoid crowds.