Fallout 4: How to Find the Railroad (Freedom Trail Location)

Fallout 4’s lawful good faction, The Railroad, is popular among fans but can be difficult to start as the headquarters is tricky to locate.

The Railroad is one of several factions in Fallout 4. It is, quite literally, an underground movement to support, help, and save synths from the Institute often by smuggling them out. However, because of the nature of The Railroad's missions, its actual location can be difficult to find as it's hidden. This can be a source of frustration for many players, especially since The Railroad upholds the idea of all synths having rights, which is something that many people might agree with.

So, to want to explore this faction and its quests only to fail and not even find this group can be slightly humiliating for fans. Thankfully, while The Railroad has its headquarters hidden, finding it should not be such a major issue. In fact, players who explore every nook and cranny on Fallout 4's massive map will eventually find this location on their own!

Updated on April 16, 2024, by Tom Bowen: While exploring Diamond City and Goodneighbor, Fallout 4 players have a chance to trigger the Join the Railroad quest. Unfortunately, however, the Follow the Freedom Trail objective is incredibly cryptic, which can leave many players at a loss as to how to find the Railroad. Thankfully, following the Freedom Trail is actually relatively straightforward once one knows what to look for, so players needn't worry too much about finding the Railroad headquarters.

How to Follow the Freedom Trail in Fallout 4 (Railroad HQ Location)

Via: Fallout Wiki — Fandom

The Railroad's headquarters can be found underneath the Old North Church. However, the Sole Survivor won't be able to find the join the Railroad simply by visiting the building. First, they'll need to solve a puzzle called the Freedom Trail, which is based on a real-world location in Boston. The Freedom Trail is an unmarked location in Fallout 4, but it can be found near Boston Common. It's one of the more iconic parts of the game, and players will definitely love the idea of uncovering the hideout of the Railroad, with this event being one of the many magical moments in Fallout 4.

A Detailed Guide to Finding The Railroad

After getting the objective, start by traveling to Boston Common on the eastern half of the Fallout 4 map and find the beginning of the Freedom Trail. Near a tour bot, who's aimlessly wandering around a nonfunctional fountain, there will be a large circular, golden crest in the ground labeled "Freedom Trail," connected to a thin, red-bricked line. For a time, the puzzle is fairly simple: follow the red line, a.k.a. the Freedom Trail, all the way to its end, passing by several real-world landmarks.

Note that the brick line becomes interrupted in several places, such as being covered by cars or rubble, but a painted red line sometimes connects the ends to give the player an idea of where to go. Otherwise, the player will need to keep an eye out for the red Freedom Trail and follow it as best as possible.

Arriving at Old North Church in Fallout 4, look for a broken staircase with a white lantern painted on the side. Underneath is a doorway. Go through it and navigate underground via the staircases, eventually turning into a doorway on the right side. The Sole Survivor should pass another white lantern painted on the walls to show they're headed in the right direction.

The end of this underground maze will be notated by another Freedom Trail crest, this time on the wall, next to another white lantern. On the Freedom Trail crest, players should notice that they can spin the ring with wording and that a red arrow points to specific letters. Spell out the word "railroad," pressing the buttons when arriving at the correct letters.

If the passcode is entered correctly, the wall will open up and let the Sole Survivor into the Railroad HQ. Of course, the journey is far from over here. Players also need to talk their way into the Railroad by convincing its leader, Desdemona, that they mean no harm. Once this final step is accomplished, the player can finally start helping The Railroad in their noble quest to free synths from the unfair torment most are subjected to.

What is The Railroad?

Though it was introduced back during Fallout 3, The Railroad has been around since the first Generation-3 synths by the Institute, making it a common point of conflict within the Fallout franchise. In Fallout 4, The Railroad plays an even bigger role than it did in the previous installment, including via the Far Harbor DLC.

The Sole Survivor can hear about the underground organization in a number of ways, mostly by word of mouth, which prompts the quest Road to Freedom, but The Railroad's ideals directly conflict with those of the Brotherhood of Steel, meaning that the player will eventually be forced to pick a side.

Key Members of The Railroad

There aren't too many members of the Railroad whom players get to either know of or interact with… if players count PAM, that is. This makes them seem like a relatively small faction compared to the other bigger players in the game, but there's a reason behind this — the Railroad is an underground organization at the end of the day, and can't afford to let too many people know about their location. Doing so would compromise their security and lead the Institute to them in no time flat!

Is Finding The Railroad Worth It?

Given the nature of Fallout 4 as a roleplaying game, this question is as subjective as can be. Players who want to abide by strict roleplaying restrictions generally have one of two options when it comes to The Railroad. If they are going for a good karma playthrough, then the logical course of action is to find and help The Railroad all the way to the very end. Alternatively, if they are roleplaying as a character who doesn't care about the synths, then either ignoring or destroying The Railroad is what most people in this scenario will opt for.

However, some people prefer to uncover as much of the game's content as possible and don't want any roleplaying restrictions to affect their playthrough. In this scenario, players are better off discovering The Railroad to maximize their rewards and the playtime of this title too.

Developer(s) Bethesda Publisher(s) Bethesda Platform(s) PS4 , Xbox One , PC Released November 10, 2015