Fallout 4: Road to Freedom - How to Join the Railroad Faction

When given the chance to be a part of a secret society, most people would jump on the opportunity. In Fallout 4, players can do just that. By completing the Road to Freedom quest, players can opt to become an exclusive member of the Railroad faction. This guide will help you follow the clues to this faction’s hidden hideout.

Follow the Freedom Trail

There are multiple ways to begin this quest. One way is to investigate the Park Street Station area for clues. Another is to speak with Doctor Amari during The Molecular Level quest, where she mentions seeking out the Railroad faction. However, the simplest route is to eavesdrop in one of two locations, which is the path we recommend.

Begin this quest by travelling to Diamond City or Goodneighbor. We opted for Diamond City. When you arrive, walk around and eavesdrop on the locals until you overhear some of them talking about the secret Railroad faction. If you chose to go to Diamond City, the people you need to overhear will likely be in either the Market or the Dugout Inn.

Upon hearing the comments about the Railroad, the quest objective will now shift to “Follow the Freedom Trail”, and a new objective icon will be placed on your map. Follow the icon until you reach a fountain in Boston Common near the Park Street Station. In front of the fountain, you will find a board with rough writing that reads, “At Journey’s End Follow Freedom’s Lantern.” There is also a Tour Bot to the right of the fountain, beside a sign that says, “The Freedom Trail.” The Tour Bot mentions a historical tourist trail that curves throughout the city, starting at this location in Boston Common.

Continue Following the Freedom Trail

Notice the red brick path on the ground leading away from a marked seal just in front of the fountain. The next step is to follow this brick path as it takes you to various historical tourist locations throughout the city. There are seven more locations after the initial starting point, and each of these locations features a clue for unlocking the door to the Railroad’s secret hideout. The hideout is found at the location at the end of the tour.

Each tourist stop will have a city seal on the ground with a specific letter and number scribbled on it. Take note of each of these symbols, as they are clues for getting into the hideout later. There are eight of these marked seals total, including the one at the first fountain that reads “A7”.

The next tourist locations and seal symbols are as follows:

• Around the perimeter of Boston Common, look for a seal near the Massachusetts State House. The seal reads “L4”.
• Continue along the trail to the Old Granary Burying Ground. Be prepared to fight off some Ferals, then take note of the marked seal that reads, “A2”.
• Keep going along the brick path toward the Old State House. There is a seal that reads “O6”, along with some bloody entrails.
• Continue on to the Old Corner Bookstore. Keep your guard up, as there are several types of enemies found here. The seal here is marked with “3I”.
• Once you reach Faneuil Hall, locate the marker that reads “5R”. Be extremely cautious when visiting this location, as there is a Super Mutant Suicider and other mutated enemies that will likely attack you if you’re not careful.
• Stay alert as you continue towards Paul Revere’s House. Defeat the enemies and locate the marked seal that reads “8D”.

The trail ends at the Old North Church, with a final clue seal that says “1R”. Although it’s fun to go on treasure hunts like these, you don’t actually need to follow the path to discover the final destination. If you know how to find the Old North Church, simply head straight there from the starting point in Boston Common.

Once you reach the Old North Church, enter the door indicated by the marked seal and lantern on the ground. Be prepared to fight off tons of Ghouls once you’re inside. From here, you must make your way to the church basement. Go forward through the hole in the wall, and make a quick right through another doorway under some debris. Continue down the staircase through the hallway and into the basement corridors.

Input the Password to the Hideout

Pass through the corridors until you find the Freedom Trail Ring on the wall, with some wires strung from its sides. This large seal is actually an elaborate padlock, and you must input a password to unlock it. Spin the ring clockwise or counter-clockwise to line up letters along the ring with the red arrow at the top, then press the center button to input a letter. The password for this lock is RAILROAD, which was indicated by the clues on the marked seals along the trail.

Upon entering the password, the wall will slide open, revealing a dark chamber with several Railroad faction members waiting inside, one of whom is Desdemona. She will briefly interrogate you on how you came upon finding their hideout. You can choose to be honest, or withhold information. You will eventually be given temporary admittance, as Desdemona requests your help with a new task.

Joining the Railroad Faction

After speaking with Desdemona and Deacon, accept the follow-up quest titled Tradecraft. Upon completing this quest and returning to Desdemona, you can choose whether or not to accept admittance into the Railroad faction. If you accept, follow Desdemona to the Railroad HQ to unlock this as a fast travel point on your map.

You can join multiple factions, but keep in mind that the more quests you complete for the Railroad, the more other factions will disapprove of your actions. The Brotherhood of Steel and the Institute are two such factions that don’t think highly of Railroad Agents.

For more quest walkthroughs and game features, head over to our Fallout 4 Walkthrough and Guide.