Final answer:
The Underground Railroad was a covert escape network that helped slaves escape to freedom. It used 'stations' for rest and aid, and 'conductors' to guide the way, but it was not an actual underground railway system like those developed in cities for public transit.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Underground Railroad Transport System
The Underground Railroad was a network of secret routes and safe houses established in the United States during the early to mid-19th century. It was used by African-American slaves to escape into free states and Canada with the aid of abolitionists and allies who were sympathetic to their cause. This network was neither literally underground nor was it a railroad, but the 'underground' term referred to the secretive, illegal aspect of the activity and 'railroad' terminology was used as code.
Conductors on the Underground Railroad were people who guided the freedom seekers from one safe location to another. Safe locations, known as 'stations' or 'depots', were often private homes, churches, or barns. Those involved in the network operated independently to maintain secrecy and safety. Conductors sometimes disguised themselves as slaves to enter plantations and lead enslaved people to freedom. Assistance provided included food, rest, and directions to the next safe location, usually during nighttime journeys to avoid detection.
Other forms of underground transport systems, such as the subway systems that arose in cities like London with the Metropolitan line in 1863, were literal subterranean railways intended for public transportation and should not be confused with the figurative 'Underground Railroad' used by escaping slaves.