(The following article by Julie Shaw was posted on the Philadelphia Inquirer website on March 11.)
PHILADELPHIA — Market East Station was evacuated – and Regional Rail trains traveling through Center City were halted – for about an hour yesterday during the evening rush after a suspicious package was found on a train, authorities said.
The concourse area was evacuated about 6:05 p.m., and the Philadelphia Police Department’s Bomb Squad was called in to deal with the package – a trumpet case. The case turned out to contain an ordinary trumpet, and nothing at all suspicious, according to police.
Commuters were allowed back into the concourse area about 7 p.m., and trains began running again shortly thereafter, SEPTA spokesman Gary Fairfax said. Trains were not allowed into Market East while the package was being investigated.