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MBTA Red Line

More Boston Transportation

Location: From Cambridge and Somerville through Boston to Dorchester, Quincy and Braintree

Our thoughts: The Red Line is one of the MBTA's worst subway lines, ranking close to the dreaded Green Line for its terrible service.

The northern end of the line goes through four stops in Cambridge (Kendall Square, Central Square, Harvard Square and Porter Square) before making one stop in Somerville (Davis) and then terminating at Alewife. Porter is right on the Cambridge/Somerville line, and it includes a stop on the Fitchburg commuter rail. The Alewife station has a large parking garage and is convenient to Route 2, except at rush hour, when traffic backs up horribly.

The most scenic part of the ride in either direction is the view from the Longfellow Bridge between Kendall and Charles/MGH stations. The brief escape from the underground tunnel features a panoramic view of Boston's downtown skyline, the Charles River Basin, the Back Bay and the Zakim Bridge.

After crossing the Charles River, the Red Line cuts through the heart of downtown Boston, first stopping at Charles/MGH (near Massachusetts General Hospital and the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary) before hitting the two busiest stops, Park Street (which connects to the Green Line) and Downtown Crossing (which connects to the Orange Line, and is known to longtime Bostonians as Washington Street).

The Red Line continues southbound through the city, first stopping at South Station, where you can connect to MBTA commuter rail trains, Amtrak, intercity buses and the dreaded Silver Line to South Boston and Logan Airport.

After stopping at Andrew Square and JFK/UMass, the Red Line splits between the Quincy/Brantree branch and the Ashmont branch through Dorchester.

Ashmont trains pass through Savin Hill, Fields Corner and Shawmut before terminating at Ashmont. From there, you can switch to an appendage of the Red Line known as the Ashmont-Mattapan High Speed Line. This trolley line features by far the oldest fleet of trains in the entire MBTA, builds from 1943-1046 and refurbished several times since. These PCC streetcars run on a dedicated right of way that stops at Cedar Grove, Butler, Milton, Central Avenue, Valley Road and Capen Street before terminating at Mattapan Square.

The Quincy/Brantree branch was built in the 1970s and 80s, and it passes through North Quincy, Wollaston, Quincy Center and Quincy Adams on the way to the Braintree. The Braintree station includes connections to the Middleborough/Lakeville and Kingston/Plymouth commuter rail lines.

Tip: Allow plenty of time for multiple unexpected delays when you plan your Red Line trip.

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