Boston Subway Map 2026 – Timetable, Tickets & Prices

The Boston subway is a true monument to American history. The metro system is the first underground subway in the USA. It opened on September 1, 1897, just over five years after the Chicago subway.

Opened at the time as the “Tremont Street Subway”, the route is still part of the so-called Green Line with the oldest subway tunnel in the USA. Alongside the three modern metro lines, it is a special feature on the Boston Metro Map. The Green Line is actually a light rail line with underground sections. At around 43.5 kilometers, it is a busy Boston subway line, carrying around 133,400 riders per weekday (September 2026).

All lines are operated by Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA). The rail network, affectionately known by Bostonians as “The T” or “Boston T”, has 128 miles (around 206 kilometers) of operating track across five lines, including the Mattapan Trolley, according to the MBTA. With around 155,100 riders per weekday (September 2026), the Orange Line has the second largest passenger volume after the Red Line. The metro lines on the Boston Metro Map can only be distinguished by their color. To avoid confusion with other public transport lines, travelers should therefore remember the Red Line, the Blue Line, the Orange Line and the Green Line.

The Boston subway lines at a glance

• Red Line (Alewife ↔ Ashmont/Braintree)
• Orange Line (Oak Grove ↔ Forest Hills)
• Blue Line (Bowdoin ↔ Wonderland)
• Green Line (B: Boston College ↔ Government Center; C: Cleveland Circle ↔ Government Center; D: Riverside ↔ Union Square; E: Heath Street ↔ Medford/Tufts)

The Boston area is known as a travel destination and a place to work and study, and it is home to well-known colleges. Harvard University and the New England Conservatory are particularly famous. However, it is not just students and commuters who use the transportation services of the “Boston T”. There are also plenty of tourists who want to see historically significant sites such as the Old State House, the Freedom Trail, Faneuil Hall or the USS Constitution.

Tourists can use the Metro Map to plan their journeys. Finding your way around it is comparatively easy due to the small number of lines. An important connection for tourists using the T runs from the airport by free Massport shuttle to the Blue Line at Airport Station, then into the city center at Government Center; according to the MBTA schedule for October 21, 2026, the Blue Line trip from Airport Station to Government Center takes 6 to 8 minutes.

With a population of around 673,000, Boston is not exactly a small town. Nevertheless, the simplicity of the tariff system is very reminiscent of this. Instead of a complex system with several fare zones, the Boston subway charges a flat fare of $2.40 for a single ride. This also makes it much easier for non-residents to use the metro in Boston. This gives travelers a choice between single rides and passes for the subway.

These daily, weekly and monthly passes are valid on both the subway and the bus lines. In addition to single-ride tickets, the operating company MBTA offers daily, weekly and monthly passes. Tickets are cheaper for seniors aged 65 or older, eligible riders with disabilities and students in the relevant MBTA program. Boston’s subway is also very family-friendly. Children up to the age of 11 can travel free of charge on the metro.

If you want to buy a metro ticket in Boston, you have several options. One option is to buy CharlieTickets, the MBTA’s reloadable fare tickets. They are available from fare vending machines in all subway stations. At street-level Green Line and Mattapan Trolley stops, fares can also be paid on board. However, on-board fareboxes accept only up to 20 US dollars in cash or as value loaded onto a CharlieCard; daily, weekly and monthly passes cannot be bought there.

Using the CharlieCard is much more convenient. This is a rechargeable chip card that can be used to book tickets and also serves as a travel pass. It can be used as a one-way ticket, day ticket, weekly ticket and monthly ticket. The CharlieCard is particularly attractive because it can be reused and loaded with daily, weekly and monthly passes. The CharlieCard is also validated or activated at the electronic access barriers to the platforms. You can pay for the metro in Boston, known as the T, with a mobile wallet using contactless payment; daily and weekly passes are also options for tourists. The MBTA subway fares page does not list an attraction discount for those daily and weekly passes.

The Green Line B branch starts service from Boston College toward Government Center at 5:01 AM on Wednesdays. Service on the three remaining lines on the Boston Metro Map begins on Wednesdays at 5:12 AM from Wonderland on the Blue Line and at 5:15 AM from Alewife on the Red Line and Oak Grove on the Orange Line. These start times do not apply to the Green Line and Blue Line every day of the week: on Sundays, Green Line B starts from Boston College at 5:20 AM, while the Blue Line starts from Wonderland at 6:00 AM. On the Red Line from Alewife and the Orange Line from Oak Grove, however, the first trains on Sundays depart about 45 minutes later, at 6:00 AM. On both weekdays and weekends, the lines run past midnight; on Wednesdays, the last trains leave Alewife on the Red Line at 12:30 AM, Oak Grove on the Orange Line at 12:30 AM, Wonderland on the Blue Line at 12:25 AM and Boston College on Green Line B at 12:18 AM the following day.

The frequency of the four metro lines on the Boston Metro Map varies throughout the day; on Wednesday mornings, for example, trains depart from Alewife on the Red Line and Oak Grove on the Orange Line every four to five minutes, from Boston College on Green Line B every eight minutes, and about every eight to ten minutes from there after 10:00 PM. So if you want to be out and about in Boston after the last trip on your metro line, you can use one of the city’s cabs or the Uber service.

To the timetables of the Boston Metro lines:

Red Line, Orange Line, Blue Line, Green Line

The saying “other countries, other customs” applies not only to the USA in general, but also to the metro in Boston. There are some rules that may seem strange to the average European at first. Eating on the Boston subway is not generally prohibited, but according to the MBTA, food and drink should remain in closed containers and riders should be considerate when eating or drinking. The MBTA Transit Police also help keep the T network safe; its officers patrol stations.

They patrol vehicles to help keep riders safe on board. Very loud conversations that disturb the other passengers are also discouraged. Playing music without headphones is prohibited both at subway stations and on the trains themselves. Even in a largely empty subway carriage, riders should keep their feet off the seats.

You might also be interested in these metro maps – for comparison or for your next trip:

• LA Metro Map
• DC Metro Map
• Montreal Metro Map
• Toronto Subway Map
• PATH Train Map
• all metro maps