193 (MBTA bus)
| Company type | Streetcar route |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Founded | 1858 |
| Defunct | 1969 |
| Fate | Replaced by MBTA bus route 57 |
Area served | Boston metropolitan region |
| Products | Streetcar transit service |
| Parent | Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) |
The A branch, also known as the Watertown Line, was a streetcar route serving the Boston metropolitan region as part of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Green Line network. Its path extended from Watertown, passing through Newton Corner, Brighton, and Allston, before arriving at Kenmore Square. From there, it utilized the Boylston Street and Tremont Street subways to reach Park Street station.
Originally, segments of this line were horsecar routes constructed between 1858 and 1880. The section connecting Union Square to Oak Square was electrified in 1889 as an extension of the Beacon Street line (now recognized as the Green Line C branch). By 1896, electric streetcar services linked Newton Corner (Nonantum Square) with downtown Boston via Brighton and Watertown. Service to Watertown from Brighton commenced in 1912. The line remained operational until 1969, when it was supplanted by MBTA bus route 57; however, non-revenue trips to Watertown Yard persisted until 1994.
Origins
The Brighton Horse Railroad, a horse-drawn street railway, began construction in 1858. Its route originated at Central Square in Cambridge, crossed the Charles River into Allston, and proceeded through Union Square along Cambridge Street and Washington Street to Oak Square in Brighton. Managed by the Union Street Railway—a holding entity for the Cambridge Railroad system—the line opened on November 15, 1858, following resolution of a dispute with the Boston and Worcester Railroad regarding track crossing rights. By April 1878, service frequency doubled to cars running every thirty minutes. In 1880, a second route connecting Brighton and Cambridge via Market Street and Western Avenue was introduced. Although plans existed to extend from Oak Square to Nonantum Square at that time, this extension was not realized then; however, a separate line connecting Watertown to Nonantum Square was already in operation.
During the late 1880s, the West End Street Railway consolidated several horsecar companies including the Cambridge Railroad. It inaugurated its first electric streetcar service on January 3, 1889, operating between the Allston Carhouse (located north of Union Square) and Park Square via Harvard Street, Beacon Street, Massachusetts Avenue, and Boylston Street; soon after, electric service expanded to Oak Square. Electric operations between Watertown and Mount Auburn commenced on December 12, 1893, with double tracking completed later in that decade. The Western Avenue line became double-tracked and electrified by August 18, 1896—the final West Boston Bridge route to convert from horse-drawn cars which previously transported passengers to Central Square for transfer onto electric streetcars bound for Boston.
On May 18, 1896, new tracks opened extending eastward from Union Square along North Beacon Street and Commonwealth Avenue to Kenmore Square, connecting with existing Beacon Street tracks. By June 13 of that year, the western terminal had been extended near Newton Corner (Nonantum Square). Service to Newton via Commonwealth Avenue began using the Tremont Street subway on November 8, 1897. A lengthy route from Nonantum Square to City Point traveling through Allston, Coolidge Corner, and Park Square started on August 4, 1900. On December 9, 1912, service was further extended northward to Watertown utilizing already established Galen Street tracks. Early in the twentieth century, this line also accommodated freight operations.
The Boylston Street subway reached Kenmore Square on October 3, 1914; Watertown-bound services passing through Brighton Center were immediately rerouted into this tunnel. Mid-1915 saw the introduction of high-capacity center-entrance streetcars as trailers on the Watertown Line. Evening peak short-turn trips originating at Oak Square were extended all the way to Watertown starting February 23, 1922. The Blandford Street portal on Commonwealth Avenue west of Kenmore opened on October 23, 1932—marking the final significant route modification. In 1941, this line became Boston’s first primarily operated by new PCC streetcars that replaced older Types 4 and 5 vehicles.
North Beacon Street line
In June 1894, the West End requested municipal authorization to construct a streetcar route along North Beacon Street, stretching from Union Square to the border of Watertown. Meanwhile, the Newtonville and Watertown Street Railway obtained permission to build the segment between and Union Square, intending to utilize West End tracks for access to downtown Boston. Despite opposition from the West End, the Watertown Arsenal granted approval in 1896, allowing the line's construction to be completed by 1898.
The line commenced operation in 1900 following disputes involving its parent company, the Newton and Boston Street Railway, and the BERy. On November 18, 1900, through service connected Watertown to the Tremont Street subway as a branch of the Newton-Brighton line. In 1907, BERy took ownership of this route from Newton and Boston. It is notable that the segment west of Market Street remained single-track.
Service between Waltham and Park Street via North Beacon Street was introduced by the Newton Street Railway (which later became the Middlesex and Boston Street Railway) on February 23, 1903. This route was redirected to Central Square in 1912, diverting off North Beacon Street. Similarly, Oak Square–Boston service was shortened. The Watertown–Park Street line running along North Beacon continued until October 1914, when the opening of the Boylston Street subway reduced North Beacon operations to a shuttle running between Watertown and Union Square. By June 1917, this shuttle was further limited to operate only between Union Square and the Brighton/Watertown line.
The North Beacon shuttle service was discontinued on February 23, 1922, replaced by bus operations. A brief bus route connecting Watertown and Arsenal Street bridge operated during 1925–26. In December 1925, the Central Square–Union Square streetcar route was altered with the introduction of a River Street bus line that extended to Union Square in September 1926, supplanting streetcar service on that corridor. These two bus routes were consolidated in February 1933 to eliminate transfers; this merged service eventually evolved into what is now known as route 64 bus.
Closure
Prior to 1967, the Watertown Line was designated as route 69, while route 57 referred initially to short-turn trips on the Huntington Avenue line. The northernmost Green Line branch was assigned the letter "A." Turnaround loops were located at Union Square, Oak Square, and at Watertown terminal. Additionally, from 1915 until 1962, a loop at Braves Field served special events along Commonwealth Avenue.
The inauguration of the Riverside Line in 1959 led to PCC streetcars being shifted from Cambridge to Riverside; however, maintenance challenges arose due to an aging fleet primarily consisting of PCCs from the 1940s and operational complexity. By the late 1960s, shortages of streetcars prompted the MBTA to announce a provisional closure of the A branch. This branch was selected because it featured extensive segments running in mixed traffic on streets and had previously faced opposition regarding service beyond Newton Corner. Streetcar operations ceased on June 20, 1969, replaced by buses operating as route 57.
Track removal
Following cessation of service in 1969, tracks remained intact to allow Green Line streetcars access to Watertown Carhouse for maintenance purposes; their last use occurred in 1993 during refurbishment work on PCC cars intended for the Ashmont–Mattapan High-Speed Line. The electrified overhead wires were dismantled in March 1994.
By summer 1996, most overhead wiring and track infrastructure were removed amid resurfacing work along North Beacon Street. Some remnants still exist at Watertown Yard bus terminal and as a short stub track near Packard's Corner—previously utilized for storing disabled trains until it was shortened during the mid-2000s; its switch was disconnected in 2014 and paved over in 2020.
Plans proposing restoration of the A branch for direct downtown transit were dismissed due to prohibitive costs and safety issues compared with current bus alternatives.
Route 57
The 57 Watertown Yard–Kenmore station bus service was introduced in 1969 as a replacement for the A branch streetcar line. It largely follows the old streetcar path, except near the Newton Corner rotary, where buses adhere to the direction of traffic. Initially, the 57 operated as a limited-stop service between Packards Corner and Kenmore to supplement the "B" branch local route; in December 2006, local stops along Commonwealth Avenue were incorporated.
After the M.T.A. discontinued free transfers in 1961, passengers traveling from Watertown faced paying double fares downtown following the switch from streetcars to buses, a policy that remained until January 2007 when free transfers via CharlieCard were reinstated.
Short-turn trips running between Oak Square and Kenmore were eliminated in 1971 but reinstated during morning hours in 1987. Between 1999 and 2013, morning trips operated from Brighton Center to Kenmore. To address overcrowding during weekday peak periods, the MBTA launched the 57A Oak Square–Kenmore station short-turn service in September 2008; roughly half of rush hour trips ran as 57A. This Oak Square short-turn service was discontinued in December 2020 except for a few school-day trips, coinciding with increased frequency on the full route.
Route 57 remains an important MBTA bus line with intervals of 10 to 12 minutes throughout the day. As of 2012, combined ridership for routes 57 and 57A ranked ninth across the system, exceeding 10,000 weekday boardings. Weekday operations are based out of Albany Street Garage, while evening and weekend services originate from Cabot Garage. Additionally, an early-morning round trip—designated internally as route 191 but publicly shown as route 57—serves MBTA staff and has been running since 1960.
An MBTA review conducted in 2018–19 highlighted peak-time overcrowding and reliability challenges on route 57 but recommended no immediate changes. The bus network redesign proposed in 2022 suggested increasing service frequency to at least every 15 minutes throughout all hours. The 57A short-turn was briefly reinstated in December 2024 but was once again discontinued by April 2025.
Express buses
Two express routes operate west of Brighton Center, providing service to downtown Boston via Copley Square:
- 501 Brighton Center–Federal Street & Franklin Street
- 504 Watertown Yard–Federal Street & Franklin Street
Express bus service originating from Brighton and Watertown dates back to when the "A" branch was still operational. The initial route, numbered 61 Watertown/Newton Corner–Downtown, commenced in July 1967 and underwent renumbering and modifications throughout the late 1960s and early 1970s. By June 1970, these routes were assigned numbers in the 300-series (301, 302, 304) to designate express service. Routing and schedule adjustments continued throughout the following decades.
Midday and Saturday service expanded starting January 1983; by December 1989, additional midday and Saturday trips included a stop at Copley Square under route number 304. In September 1996, routes were renumbered as 501, 502, and 504. Route 503 was introduced later in January 2005. Between 2014 and 2019, inbound afternoon trips on routes 503 and subsequently on route 501 began utilizing Cambridge Street for routing.
A system review during 2018–19 identified concerns regarding stop spacing, consistency of peak schedules, and reliability on routes 501 and 503; however, no significant issues were found with routes 502 and 504. The MBTA recommended outbound routing changes at Newton Corner that were implemented in September 2019 to enhance efficiency by eliminating rotary loops.
With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, weekend schedules were adopted systemwide; routes operating only on weekdays (502 and 503) were suspended while routes 501 and 504 operated on reduced timetables. Route 504 took over service previously provided by route 502 via Copley Square and resumed outbound looping through Newton Corner. Route 501 was temporarily suspended from June through August of that year before resuming with added Copley Square service.
Proposals made in May 2022 made these adjustments permanent by limiting routes 501 and 504 to weekday peak periods only. In November of that year, midday service was restored on route 504.