Downtown Crossing Station Closed Following Alleged Bomb Threat

Image courtesy of Tim Healy

A discarded box and alleged bomb threat at an Orange Line station snarled the early morning commute for MBTA riders on Wednesday.

Orange Line service was suspended between Haymarket and Back Bay while police checked out a package that a man left behind at Downtown Crossing station, according to T officials. A T spokesman said the man allegedly made threatening remarks about what was inside the box before walking away.

The unattended item led to a heavy police presence at Downtown Crossing station, and required a response from the bomb squad. By 9:09 a.m., T officials said that Transit Police had the man who made the bomb threat in custody. The Transit Police Department’s Explosives Detection Unit was on scene, working to determine if the box posed a threat, officials said.

By 9:30 a.m., officers cleared the scene after determining the package did not pose a threat to the public.

While the investigation was ongoing, some riders reported that they were diverted to Green Line and Commuter Rail stations due to the extensive backups and delays, while others posted images of crowded train platforms. The delay impacted both the Red and Orange Line trains that pass through Downtown Crossing, and caused a morning headache for passengers as far away as North Quincy Station. As police investigated the incident, trains bypassed the station where the package was left behind.