Boston Elevated Railway
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The Boston Elevated Railway (BERy) was the precursor to the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, operating rapid transit, streetcars and buses in the Boston, Massachusetts, USA area. It was formerly known as the West End Street Railway.
The rapid transit lines have evolved into the Red, Blue and Orange Lines. The only streetcars that remain are the various branches of the Green Line and the Ashmont-Mattapan High Speed Line; the rest have been converted to buses.
The Boston Elevated Railway operated in the following cities and towns:
- Arlington
- Belmont
- Boston and the municipalities that have been merged into it
- Brookline
- Cambridge
- Chelsea
- Everett
- Malden
- Medford
- Newton (only to get between Boston and Watertown)
- Somerville
- Stoneham (only the southern bit, in the Middlesex Fells)
- Watertown
Additionally, streetcars from adjoining towns, run by other companies, operated over BERy trackage.
The first electric trolley line was built by the West End Street Railway, between Union Square, Allston and Park Square, downtown, via Harvard Street, Beacon Street, Massachusetts Avenue and Boylston Street. Trolleys first ran in 1889. The Green Line "A" Branch later served roughly the same purpose.
The last horse car line was along Marlborough Street in the Back Bay, and was never electrified. It was closed around 1900. [1]
The first bus route was in 1922, between Union Square, Allston and Faneuil Street. In 1933 this was merged with the Union Square - Central bus and later became the 64 bus. [2]
The first trackless trolley route was the 77 (later 69) Harvard - Lechmere via Cambridge Street on April 11, 1936; trackless trolleys still run from Harvard station (but not on that route).
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