Passengers wait alongside an inbound MBTA Red Line train, headed toward Alewife, on a busy underground platform in downtown Boston. The Red Line is the system’s oldest rapid transit route, opening in 1912 and forming the backbone of east–west and north–south travel through the city. The high-floor cars shown here reflect decades of incremental fleet updates, while the tiled platforms, overhead wayfinding, and digital countdown signs illustrate how the MBTA has layered modern passenger information systems onto early-20th-century station infrastructure. The crowding and luggage visible on the platform highlight the line’s dual role serving both daily commuters and airport-bound travelers via transfers to bus and rail connections.

Sign seen at South Station in Boston: "First they came for the Trans Folks, and I did not speak out because I was not Trans. Then they came for the Immigrants, and I did not speak out because I was not a Immigrant. Then they came for the Students, and I did not speak out because I was not a Student. Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak out for me."