Editing Transportation in Boston (section)

== Rail transportation ==
Boston has two discrete rail networks. One of these, the MBTA, widely nicknamed "the T", includes elements of [[light rail]]/[[streetcar]] operation as well as traditional [[Rapid transit|subway]] technology. (The Red, Orange, Blue, and Green Lines have no physical rail interconnections with each other, though they are all operated by the MBTA and exchange passengers in shared stations.)  The second network forms the Boston area portion of the [[Rail transportation in the United States|North American rail network]], and provides commuter rail, intercity passenger rail and freight rail services.

Although the two networks are essentially unconnected, they do in some places run alongside each other in the same right of way. Interchange stations allow interchange of passengers, but not trains, between subway and commuter rail services. Parts of the subway network also use former common user rail rights of way.

=== Subway network ===
{{main|MBTA subway}}
[[Image:RedLineCharlesMGH.jpg|thumb|right|Red Line subway train crossing the [[Longfellow Bridge]]]]
[[File:MBTA Green Line B.jpg|thumb|right|Green Line subway/surface train on street track]]
[[File:Train Arriving at Airport Station (MBTA).jpg|thumb|right|Blue Line subway train at the airport]]
[[File:Test train at Massachusetts Avenue station, June 2019.jpg|thumb|right|Orange Line subway train at [[Massachusetts Avenue station]]]]
Boston has the oldest subway system in North America, with the first underground streetcar traffic dating back to 1897. Today the whole subway network is owned and operated by the [[Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority]] (MBTA).

In the early 1960s, the then-newly-formed MBTA hired [[Cambridge Seven Associates]] to help develop a new [[brand identity]].  Cambridge Seven came up with a circled T to represent such concepts as "transit", "transportation" and "tunnel." Today, Bostonians call their rapid transit network "the T", and it is the [[List of United States rapid transit systems by ridership|fourth busiest in the country]], with daily ridership of 273,000 trips on its heavy rail and 90,700 on its light rail.<ref name="apta2022q4">{{cite web|author=American Public Transportation Association|url=https://www.apta.com/wp-content/uploads/2022-Q4-Ridership-APTA.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230314071914/https://www.apta.com/wp-content/uploads/2022-Q4-Ridership-APTA.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 14, 2023|title=Heavy Rail Transit Ridership Report 4th Quarter 2022}}</ref> This compares with the [[Washington Metro]]'s heavy rail daily ridership of 326,300, the [[Chicago 'L']]'s 334,200, and Los Angeles's 76,800, but is overshadowed by [[NYCTA|New York City]]'s 6.335 million average daily weekday trips.<ref name="apta2022q4"/>

The one-way fare is $2.40. Monthly commuter passes, and day and week visitor's passes are also available for purchase.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.mbta.com/fares#bus_subway_overview |website=Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority |title=Fares Overview |access-date=January 4, 2019}}</ref> There are four [[rapid transit|subway]] lines in the metropolitan Boston area: the [[Red Line (MBTA)|Red Line]], [[Green Line (MBTA)|Green&nbsp;Line]], [[Orange Line (MBTA)|Orange Line]], and [[Blue Line (MBTA)|Blue Line]]. The colors of each line have a symbolic meaning: the Blue Line runs under Boston Harbor; the Red Line used to terminate at [[Harvard University]] (whose school color is [[crimson]]); the Orange Line used to run along Washington Street, which was once called Orange Street; and the Green Line runs along parts of the [[Emerald Necklace]] into the leafy suburbs of [[Brookline, Massachusetts|Brookline]] and [[Newton, Massachusetts|Newton]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Throwback Thursday: When the T Was Color-Coded |url=https://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/2016/08/25/mbta-color-history/ |website=Boston Magazine |access-date=January 4, 2019|date=August 25, 2016 }}</ref>

The Green Line is actually four different lines; it starts as one trunk line but then splits into four different branches, the [[Green Line B branch|B]] (Boston College), [[Green Line C branch|C]] (Cleveland Circle), [[Green Line D branch|D]] (Riverside) and [[Green Line E branch|E]] (Heath Street) trains. Because the split is only relevant on the outbound direction of travel, one may take any train inbound, but when going outbound one must be careful to board the correct train. The Red Line splits as well, with southbound trains going either to Braintree or Ashmont.

Though most of Boston's [[rapid transit]] network is powered via [[third rail]], the outermost portions of the Blue Line, as well as all of the Green Line and [[Mattapan Line]], are powered via [[overhead lines]]. The name "subway" is something of a misnomer; as with other systems, large segments run above ground when far from the city's downtown.  Additionally, the Green and Mattapan Lines are technically [[light-rail]] services, using [[Light rail vehicle|LRV]]s and [[streetcars]] rather than typical [[multiple unit]] heavy railcar equipment. The Ashmont–Mattapan line uses refurbished classic pre-war "[[PCC streetcar|PCC]]" trolleys on an exclusive right of way; the Green Line relies on modern high-capacity [[Light rail|LRV]] cars from Japan and Italy.

Like the [[New York City Subway]], Boston's subway system in theory does keep to an exact fixed schedule. Starting around 2011, the MBTA introduced overhead displays at the train platform level which indicate estimated arrival times for the next two trains in each direction.  In addition, real-time information about train location (and bus location) is available via an [[Open Data]] protocol on the Internet, enabling a large number of third-party smartphone apps and web sites to display expected arrival times throughout the MBTA system.  The Green Line relies more on operators than its signal system compared to other lines, especially where trams are driven across or even in automobile lanes on surface rails.  Due to a sparsity of data collected by the existing system, real-time Green Line arrival predictions are not expected until tracking infrastructure upgrades are completed in 2015.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/allston_brighton/2013/01/mbta_mobile_apps_will_be_able.html|title=MBTA: Mobile apps will be able to track Green Line trains by 2015|work=Boston.com|date=January 11, 2016}}</ref>{{update inline|date=December 2021}}

====Elevated sections====
Despite the first rapid transit segment being built underground, many later parts were built as [[elevated railway]]s.{{dubious|this implies a major separation in time; the first elevated was only 4 years later|date=January 2016}} A century later, most of these elevated railway sections have been replaced by [[Cut (earthmoving)|cut]] or tunnel routing.  The only remaining classic elevated structures are the [[Green Line (MBTA)|Green Line]]'s [[Lechmere Viaduct]], including the [[Science Park (MBTA station)|Science Park]] and [[Lechmere station|Lechmere]] stations, and a short segment of the [[Red Line (MBTA)|Red Line]] at [[Charles-MGH (MBTA station)|Charles-MGH]], connecting the tunnel under [[Beacon Hill, Boston, Massachusetts|Beacon Hill]] to the [[Longfellow Bridge]].

The [[Boston Elevated Railway]] was the company that owned all the elevateds and subways. The following Els once existed:
*[[Causeway Street Elevated]] (closed 2004), from the [[Haymarket Incline]] to the [[Lechmere Viaduct]]
*[[Washington Street Elevated]] (closed 1987), from [[Forest Hills (MBTA station)|Forest Hills]] to an incline north of the [[Masspike]]
*[[Charlestown Elevated]] (closed April 4, 1975), from the [[Haymarket Incline]] to [[Everett, Massachusetts|Everett]]
*[[Atlantic Avenue Elevated]] (closed 1938), from the Washington Street El at the [[Castle Street Wye]] at Herald Street (Tower 'D') to the Charlestown El and Causeway Street El at [[North Station]] (Tower 'C')

=== Common user rail network ===
Unlike the subway, which is owned and operated by the MBTA, the common user network is owned and operated by a mixture of various public and private sector bodies. In the Boston area, trackage is owned by a mixture of the MBTA and several freight railroads. Commuter rail services are operated by the [[Keolis]] Commuter Services (KCS)<ref>http://www.mbta.com/about_the_mbta/news_events/?id=6442451214&month=1&year=14 MBTA press release on Keolis Commuter Services award</ref> under contract to the MBTA, intercity passenger services are operated by [[Amtrak]], and freight services are operated by the various freight railroads. [[Trackage rights]] allow trains of one operator to make use of tracks owned by another.<ref name=sppnemc>{{cite book | publisher = Steam Powered Publishing | title = Comprehensive Railroad Atlas: New England & Maritime Canada | isbn = 1-874745-12-9 | year = 1999 }}</ref>

==== Commuter rail ====
{{main|MBTA commuter rail}}

[[Image:Wellesley Hills station.jpg|thumb|right|Commuter Rail train at Wellesley Hills]]
The MBTA commuter rail system brings people from as far away as [[Worcester, Massachusetts|Worcester]] and [[Providence, Rhode Island|Providence (Rhode Island)]] into Boston. There are approximately 125,000 one-way trips on the commuter rail each day, making it the [[List of United States commuter rail systems by ridership|fifth-busiest]] commuter rail system in the country, outranked only by the various systems serving New York and Chicago suburbs.

There are two major [[rail terminal]]s in Boston: [[North Station]] and [[South Station]]. Commuter rail lines from the North Shore and northwestern suburbs begin and terminate at North Station; lines from the South Shore and the west start and end at South Station. There is no direct rail connection between North Station and South Station, so that interchange between the two stations generally requires the use of two different subway lines (Red/Orange or Red/Green).  However, passengers on commuter lines serving [[Back Bay (MBTA station)|Back Bay Station]] can interchange directly from there to North Station using the Orange Line, and passengers on the [[Fitchburg Line]] can interchange directly from [[Porter (MBTA station)|Porter]] to South Station using the Red Line.

==== Intercity rail ====
[[File:Amtrak 623 & Acela 2007 at South Station 2019 jeh.jpg|thumb|''Acela'' (left) and ''Northeast Regional'' (right) locomotives at South Station in 2019]]
Boston is served by four intercity rail services, all operated by [[Amtrak]]. The ''[[Acela]]'' and ''[[Northeast Regional]]'' services both operate on the [[Northeast Corridor]] to and from [[Washington, D.C.]], with stops in places such as [[New York City]] and [[Philadelphia]]. A branch of the ''[[Lake Shore Limited]]'' service operates to and from [[Chicago]]. The ''[[Downeaster (train)|Downeaster]]'' service operates to and from [[Brunswick, Maine]].<ref name=amra>{{cite web | title = Routes - Northeast | url = http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Amtrak/Page/Browse_Routes_Page&c=Page&cid=1081256321410&ssid=134 | publisher = Amtrak | access-date = June 13, 2008}}</ref>

The Northeast Corridor services terminate at South Station, as does the ''Lake Shore Limited''. The ''Downeaster'' service terminates at North Station, primarily because the ''Downeaster'' Amtrak line is intended for points north of downtown. The Northeast Corridor and ''Lake Shore Limited'' services also stop at [[Back Bay station]]. The lack of a direct rail connection between North Station and South Station means that passengers transferring to and from the ''Downeaster'' are faced with a transfer between stations. Although most such transfers can be achieved using the [[Orange Line (MBTA)|Orange Line]] between Back Bay and North Station, Amtrak recommends passengers with luggage to use a taxi.<ref name="amra"/><ref name=amrade>{{cite web | title = Routes - Northeast - Downeaster | url = http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Amtrak/am2Route/Vertical_Route_Page&c=am2Route&cid=1081256321869&ssid=134 | publisher = Amtrak | access-date = June 13, 2008}}</ref>

Within the Boston area, most Amtrak services operate over commuter rail track owned by the MBTA, who also own the Northeast Corridor track as far as the [[Rhode Island]] state line.<ref name="sppnemc"/>

=== Major transit hubs ===
There are several major transit terminals in the Boston metropolitan area.

Major rail stations include:
* [[South Station]], which is served by [[Amtrak]] and [[MBTA]] commuter trains and subways, and intercity buses via the adjacent bus terminal 
* [[North Station]], which is served by Amtrak and MBTA commuter trains and subways

==== Freight rail ====
[[CSX Transportation|CSX]] is the only [[class I railroad]] serving the Boston area, which it reaches by its [[Boston Subdivision]] line to [[Springfield, Massachusetts|Springfield]], and by [[trackage rights]] over the Northeast Corridor. CSX also has trackage rights over much of the southern half of the MBTA's commuter rail network. In February 2013, CSX moved freight operations from its Beacon Park Yard in [[Allston, Massachusetts|Allston]]<ref name="sppnemc"/> to a newly refurbished [[Double-stack rail transport|double stack intermodal yard]] in [[Worcester, Massachusetts|Worcester]] and a new [[transload]] facility in [[Westborough, Massachusetts|Westborough]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mass.gov/orgs/office-of-the-governor|title=Office of Governor Charlie Baker and Lt. Governor Karyn Polito|website=Mass.gov}}</ref>

The other significant freight railroad in the Boston area is [[Pan Am Railways]] (PAR; formerly known as the Guilford Rail System). PAR is a [[class II railroad]] that operates lines to the north and west of Boston, reaching destinations in [[New Hampshire]], [[Maine]] and [[New York (state)|New York]] as well as Massachusetts. It also has trackage rights over much of the northern half of the MBTA's commuter rail network. In May 2008, PAR announced a venture with [[Norfolk Southern Railway]] to create a jointly owned freight corridor, branded the [[Patriot Corridor]], linking Boston to a newly refurbished intermodal yard in [[Mechanicville, New York]], just north of [[Albany, New York|Albany]].<ref name="sppnemc"/><ref name=parnspc>{{cite web | publisher = Norfolk Southern Corp. | url = http://www.nscorp.com/nscportal/nscorp/Media/News%20Releases/2008/news051508_2.html | title = Pan Am Railways and Norfolk Southern Create the Patriot Corridor to Improve Rail Service and Expand Capacity in New York and New England | date = May 15, 2008 | access-date = June 9, 2008 | archive-date = June 1, 2008 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080601044128/http://www.nscorp.com/nscportal/nscorp/Media/News%20Releases/2008/news051508_2.html | url-status = dead }}</ref>

Only a few rail freight customers remain in or near Boston, including a chemical packager in Allston, and food distribution facilities and a scrap metal processor in [[Everett, Massachusetts|Everett]]. The Class III  [[Fore River Railroad]] serves two major customers in [[Quincy, Massachusetts|Quincy]]. A plan to ship [[ethanol]] by rail to a gasoline mixing plant in [[Revere, Massachusetts|Revere]] was reviewed in 2013.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/planning/Main/CurrentStudies/EthanolSafetyStudy.aspx|title=Ethanol Safety Study|work=state.ma.us|access-date=April 14, 2013|archive-date=June 25, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130625102843/http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/planning/Main/CurrentStudies/EthanolSafetyStudy.aspx|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2012/03/08/plan_to_ship_ethanol_to_revere_by_train_raises_concerns/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141211131808/http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2012/03/08/plan_to_ship_ethanol_to_revere_by_train_raises_concerns/ |archive-date=December 11, 2014 |title=Rail plan for ethanol is decried | url-status=live}}</ref><ref>[http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/planning/Main/CurrentStudies/EthanolSafetyStudy.aspx Study of the Safety Impacts of Ethanol Transportation by Rail through Boston, Cambridge, Chelsea, Everett, Somerville, and Revere] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130625102843/http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/planning/Main/CurrentStudies/EthanolSafetyStudy.aspx |date=June 25, 2013 }}, MassDOT 2013</ref> In the face of community opposition and pressure from the state legislature, the company withdrew its proposal on July 2, days before the [[Lac-Mégantic derailment]].<ref>[http://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/blog/2013/07/03/ethanol-trains-boston-cambridge-global-kp/ Trains Carrying Flammable Liquids Won’t Be Traveling Through Greater Boston] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131224105214/http://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/blog/2013/07/03/ethanol-trains-boston-cambridge-global-kp/ |date=December 24, 2013 }}, Steve Annear, Boston Daily, July 3, 2013</ref>