History of the MBTA

The history of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) and its predecessors spans two centuries, starting with one of the oldest railroads in the United States. Development of mass transportation both followed existing economic and population patterns, and helped shape those patterns.

Mass transit in Boston, Massachusetts began as a family-owned and operated ferry in around 1630. Ground transportation started in Boston with a private stagecoach operation in 1793. The first rail line, which was horse-powered, began on March 26, 1856. Soon there were more than twenty privately run rail lines. In order to regulate fares and reduce competition, the General Court of Massachusetts passed the West End Consolidation Act to consolidate the rail line operations.

The steam locomotive became practical for mass transportation in the 1810s, and came to the United States in the 1820s. The private Boston and Lowell Railroad was chartered in 1830, connecting Boston to Lowell, a major northerly mill town (which was also connected via the Middlesex Canal). It was one of the oldest railroads in North America and the first major one in Massachusetts. This route marked the beginning of the development of intercity railroads that eventually evolved into the MBTA Commuter Rail system and the Riverside Green Line "D" Branch. Origins of the various rail lines are listed below:

The Haverhill Line was originally chartered as the Andover and Wilmington Railroad in 1833 and extended to Haverhill in 1837 as the Andover and Haverhill Railroad. The line became the Boston & Maine's first acquisition, as the result of a consolidation of three railroads between Boston and Portland, Maine.

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