Known facts: Regional rail trains going into Market East from the north were re-routed this morning because of a bomb threat. Mine stopped at Fern Rock and we all had to get off there and take the orange line in. Walking on Market St. I saw part of the convention center roped off. Lots of fire trucks.
Unsubstantiated rumor: Police caught a guy. They have a "parcel." Some mention of the tunnel.
Gotta go. Please update if you hear more.
Update 9AM: Market East is reopened.
Update 9:30AM: KYW: SEPTA's Market East Station Reopened:
SEPTA and city police closed off the Market East train station around 7:30am Friday morning.A man with a suspicious backpack and dressed in camoflauge was spotted by a conductor on an R6 train coming from Conshohocken.
The conductor notified police after the train pulled into the Market East station, and a trained dog reacted to the man's backpack.
The man was taken into custody and questioned.
Market East was shut down and evacuated. No Regional Rail lines were running in or out of the station for most of the morning rush hour period.
The package was cordoned off in the station until Philadelphia bomb squad officers were able to examine it. It was determined that the trained dog had reacted to the scent of a propane torch nozzle -- a perfectly safe item, according to SEPTA -- that the man was carrying in his backpack.
The station was reopened and Regional Rail service at the Market East station was restarted about 9am.
R8 trains from Fox Chase shut down as of 8:10
A conductor told us that due to police activity, Market East was shut down and that trains going towards it are shut down.
I'm back at home waiting for the situation to be resolved before heading into work.
All local web news sites confirm the same info - with nothing new to add. Poor to no coverage on TV.
westbound
When was this? I got in fine from my transfer heading north on the Orange Line to the Blue Line at City Hall westbound a little before 8a. No mention on the PA system.
trains
We were let off at Fern Rock a little before 8:00 a.m. and told it was due to "police activity." The conductors said they didn't know any more than that. The orange line ran an express into the city. My thanks to the nice young man who helped me and another man figure out how to get to where we wanted to go. It has been my experience that when these things happen Regional Rail employees are as polite and informative as they can be and the passengers look out for each other. While the circumstances for re-routed travel are never good, the experience always leaves me optimistic because, generally speaking, people respond so well.
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