Morning rush
2.2 min 1,439 trips · 100% on paceOBSERVED MBTA TRAVEL TIME · 30 SERVICE DAYS
CentraltoHarvard
Red Line
A direct MBTA train from Central to Harvard took a median 2.2 minutes across 6,271 observed trips; 90% of measured rides finished within approximately 3.2 minutes.
Source: MBTA Performance Data · 2026-08-20 to 2026-09-18 · Completed direct trips only
Typical2.2 min50th percentile
Slower trip3.2 min90th percentile
Scheduled4.2 minmedian timetable
On pace100%within 2 min of schedule
THE SHORT ANSWER
How long does Central to Harvard take?
The median completed ride from Central to Harvard was 2.2 minutes; the published schedule’s median was 4.2 minutes.
Based on 6,271 direct trips between 2026-08-20 and 2026-09-18, the median observed ride was 2.2 minutes. That was within 2 minutes of the published schedule.
Nine out of ten measured trips finished within approximately 3.2 minutes. These figures describe completed direct trips; they do not include the time spent waiting for the train.
WHEN YOU TRAVEL
Central to Harvard times by daypart
Evening rush produced the fastest median for Central to Harvard; Off-peak produced the slowest.
Differences can change as the rolling dataset updates.
Midday
2.2 min 1,327 trips · 99% on paceEvening rush
2.2 min 1,376 trips · 100% on paceOff-peak
2.2 min 2,129 trips · 100% on paceMEASUREMENT SAMPLE
How Central to Harvard was measured
The Central to Harvard estimate uses 6,271 completed direct-trip stop-timestamp pairs matched to the schedule active for each observed train.
We publish the median because one dramatic delay should not define an everyday journey, and the 90th percentile because riders still need to understand the bad end of normal.
We do not infer why a trip ran slowly. Construction, incidents, crowding and weather require separate evidence.
Read the complete method →MORE FROM Central
Trips related to Central to Harvard
The Central to Harvard record is accompanied by 6 other measured direct rides beginning at Central, each with a published median duration.