MTA

The MTA was the primary public transportation authority for the Boston Metropolitan area, operating well up to 2077. Their primary modes of infrastructure were Boston's subway network, as well as buses and a monorail network that ran under highways, sharing stations with the conventional subway trains. As evidenced by the lack of conventional subway carriages in the midst of the many wrecked monorail trains, the original subway system appears to have been in the process of being phased out in favor of a full-on monorail system.

Background
Prior to 2077, the Boston MTA operated several train lines within Downtown Boston, extending to Cambridge, Malden, Back Bay, Scollay Square, and other portions of the city. These lines included the Red, Blue, Orange and Green lines, and used similar rolling stock. An unidentified monorail line was operated by the system as well, evidenced by the remains of a train suspended from the bottom of an elevated interstate highway in Boston's downtown. These subway/monorail lines operated up until mid-2077, when they were closed due to shortages and rationing. Other than that, they were tasked with operating Boston's ground surface transport network, with a fleet of buses at the ready.

Stations
Transit stations for the MTA can be found around the Commonwealth. Unlike the subway stations of the Capital Wasteland's DC Metro, none of these are interconnected, and function as singular underground spaces, due to blockages caused by wrecked trains and rubble. At least one Blue Line station has been converted into a bar, the Third Rail, located within the former Scollay Square Station in Goodneighbor. Another station, Park Street, was closed by the MTA and excavated into Vault 114, where Vault-Tec would use the existing station infrastructure to build the vault to save costs. Most other stations also lie in disrepair, with the remains of trains and wreckage blocking the tunnels, and feral ghouls and super mutants taking residence in the concourses and platforms.

Trains
Unlike the train cars of the DC Metro, the train cars of the MTA can still be entered, where the player can sometimes find loot alongside the skeletal remains of previous passengers. These train cars have a streamlined tube-body shape, and utilized a conductor rail from the top of the tunnel to draw power. Unlike the train cars of the DC Metro, the Boston MTA cars had no pulling locomotive, and the driver's seat was located in the front passenger car. A suspended monorail variant was also used, which travelled on tracks located beneath Boston's elevated Interstate Highway network.

Behind the scenes

 * The Boston MTA is a reference to Boston's actual public transport agency, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, or MBTA, which operates Boston's subway, light rail, and commuter rail network.
 * In reality, the MBTA was originally known as the MTA, from 1947 to 1964. It is not known what event after the series' point of divergence led to the change not being made in the Fallout world.
 * The Red, Blue, Green, and Orange lines are the actual lines of the Boston Rapid Transit network, although the Green Line in reality is a streetcar/light rail system.
 * Announcements can still be heard in various subway stations.
 * No maps of the subway network can be found.