Follow the blossoms and make Metro your ride during cherry blossom season

 

Cherry Blossom Seasonis calling, and to celebrate the famous blooms Metro will have a specially designed cherry blossom train and buses to get you there. We’ve also cleared any maintenance and track work on Metrorail until late-night, including weekends, so that you can go see the blossoms without any scheduled disruptions.

Look for Metro’s cherry blossom train and buses debuting today. On Metrorail, our fully wrapped six-car cherry blossom train will be on the tracks, running on different lines throughout cherry blossom season. The pink and white train is decorated inside and out, covered in pink blooms.Keep an eye on the roads too. The two 40-foot Metrobuses are hard to miss with branches of cherry blossoms flowering on a white background and the words "The Blossoms are calling."

If you are looking to ride the specially wrapped train and buses, you’re in luck! This year, Metro has designed a special tracker that allows customers to see exactly where they are in the system. To follow the moving blooms, visit wmata.com/live, click on the “special edition tab,” and look for the cherry blossom icon on the map.

“The annual cherry blossom season is an iconic part of our region, and we are proud to be a part of that experience,” said Metro General Manager and Chief Executive Officer Randy Clarke. “We want you to enjoy the ride to see the blooms and join us in celebrating the season on our cherry blossom buses and train.”

Cherry blossom season is traditionally one of the highest ridership periods for Metro. We’ll have extra trains positioned throughout the system to help with crowds if needed, and extra buses will be strategically placed if additional capacity is needed on selected routes or a disruption occurs. Any maintenance or track work will happen after 10 p.m. and overnight starting March 20, for four consecutive weeks, to provide the best possible service for visitors and customers.

Another fan favorite, the 2023 National Cherry Blossom Festival commemorative SmarTrip cards, are now available at specially marked fare vending machines at three stations – L’Enfant Plaza, Navy Yard and Metro Center. The limited-edition cards feature the Yoshino cherry trees in full bloom at sunrise encircling the Tidal Basin and Washington Monument in a cloud of pale pink flowers. The cards will be available while supplies last.

To assist customers, Metro will have volunteers at key stations and look for us at festival events including Petalpalooza and the Cherry Blossom Festival Parade. We’ll also be flying our one-of-a-kind Metro kite, designed with the help of a kite master, at the Blossom Kite Festival.

We also have some travel trips for visitors going to see the cherry blossoms to avoid crowds and make your trip smoother, particularly during peak bloom when trains and stations are more crowded.

TRAVEL TIPS

• On weekdays, consider traveling during non-rush hour times (10 a.m. - 3 p.m. and after 7 p.m.) and on weekends during the early morning or early evening to avoid crowding. Sundays are also a good option when ridership is lower.
• Smithsonian Station is the closest station to the Tidal Basin and can become extremely busy. To avoid crowding, consider using L'Enfant Plaza or Federal Triangle instead.
• Avoid transfers. Except for the Red Line, the Tidal Basin is accessible on all lines without transfers.
• Blue Line Orange Line Silver Line Blue Line+ Smithsonian, Federal Triangle, L’Enfant Plaza
• Green Line L’Enfant Plaza
• If you don’t plan to purchase a commemorative card, use Metro’s mobile pay options for Apple iOS or Android to purchase a SmarTrip card or transfer an existing card to a phone or mobile device and instantly add funds.
• Each passenger 5 years of age or older needs his or her own SmarTrip card. Be sure to load enough value on the card to pay for all trips you plan to take.

For the latest service information, sign up for Metroalerts text or email messages, or follow us on Twitter @wmata @metrorail @metrobusinfo.

Customer service representatives are also available to assist customers weekdays from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. and weekends from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. by calling 202-637-7000 (automated information available 24/7), via chat online at wmata.com, and through our social media channels.