Kinki-Sharyo Type 7 LRV 3714

Location: Beacon Street between Washington Square and Fairbanks Street stations, Brookline, MA
Operator of Vehicle: Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority
Date of Photo: May 2, 2011

Despite what many seem to be inclined to think, the oldest subway system in North America is not in New York, but rather, in Boston.  In fact, this month marks the 125th anniversary of the opening of the segment of what is now known as the Green Line between Boylston and Park Street.  The original Tremont Street subway was built to provide a way to get streetcars off of congested streets at the surface, and has evolved to form part of the central trunk of today’s Green Line.  The line has been modified in various ways over the years as Boston has grown and developed, but the Boylston Station remains largely unaltered from its original 1897 state.  The Tremont Street Subway are designated as a National Historic Landmark due to its significance as the first subway in the United States.  The Green Line is in the midst of an expansion of sorts, with the new Union Square branch having opened in March 2022 and the Medford/Tufts branch scheduled to open in November 2022.

For more photos of the MBTA Green Line, please click here.