Boston: By Subway, Train & Trolley

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By Subway, Train & Trolley

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) -- or "T" when referring to the subway line -- operates subways, elevated trains, and trolleys along five connecting lines, including the newly introduced Silver Line. A 24-hour hotline and the MBTA Web site offer information on routes, schedules, fares, wheelchair access, and other matters. Free maps are available at the MBTA's Park Street Station information stand, open daily from 7 AM to 10 PM. They're also available online at www.mbta.com.

"Inbound" trains head into the city center and "outbound" trains head away from downtown Boston. If you get on the Red Line at South Station, the train heading toward Cambridge is inbound. But once you pass the Park Street station, the train becomes an outbound train. The best way to figure out which way to go is to know the last stop on the train, which is always listed. So, from downtown, the Red Line to Cambridge would be the Alewife train and the Green Line to Fenway would be the Boston College or Cleveland Circle train.

Trains operate from about 5:30 AM to about 12:30 AM. T fares are $1.25 for adults and 60¢ for children ages 5 through 11 and 35¢ for senior citizens. An extra fare is required heading inbound from distant Green Line stops and both inbound and outbound on the most distant Red Line stops (for example, the fare each way from Braintree is $2.50). Fares on the commuter rail -- the Purple Line -- vary widely; check with the MBTA.

MBTA visitor passes are available for unlimited travel on city buses and subways for one-, three-, and seven-day periods (fares are $7.50, $18, and $35, respectively). Buy passes at the following MBTA stations: Airport, South Station, North Station, Back Bay, Government Center, and Harvard Square. Passes are also sold at the Boston Common Visitor Information Center and at some hotels.

Routes

The Red Line originates at Braintree and Mattapan to the south; the routes join near South Boston and continue to suburban Arlington. The Green Line operates elevated trolleys in the suburbs that dip underground in the city center. The line originates at Cambridge's Lechmere, heads south, and divides into four routes that end at Boston College (Commonwealth Avenue), Cleveland Circle (Beacon Street), Riverside, and Heath Street (Huntington Avenue). Buses connect Heath Street to the old Arborway terminus.

The Blue Line runs weekdays from Bowdoin Square and weeknights and weekends from Government Center to the Wonderland Racetrack in Revere, north of Boston. The Orange Line runs from Oak Grove in north suburban Malden to Forest Hills near the Arnold Arboretum. The Silver Line consists of two transit lines. One connects Downtown Crossing and Boylston to Dudley Square. The other runs from South Station down the waterfront to City Point. Park Street Station (on the Common) and State Street are the major downtown transfer points.

Contacts

MBTA (617/222-3200; 800/392-6100; 617/222-5854 TTY. www.mbta.com).