Grand Central Terminal Bomb Scare Reroutes Trains

February 25, 2013

Trains were stopped and subway service interrupted
Sunday night at Grand Central Terminal after a bomb
scare, an MTA spokesperson said, Feb. 24, 2013.

(Flickr/Trodel)

GRAND CENTRAL TERMINAL — The Metropolitan Transportation Authority shut down service of its shuttle between Times Square and Grand Central on Sunday night, and briefly had 4, 5 and 6 trains bypassing the station after a bomb scare halted activity to the transit hub, according to MTA officials.

The NYPD would not comment on whether or not there had been a bomb threat in the station, and initially referred all inquiries to the MTA.

At 9:40 p.m. a spokeswoman for the MTA subway system confirmed that the Times Square shuttle had been shut down, and 4, 5 and 6 trains were skipping the station temporarily, but would not say what the cause for the train diversion was, and said the commuter railroad, Metro North, would field any inquiries.

A spokesman for the Metro North Railroad, which handles railroad operations at the station called the opeartion "an NYPD investigation," but said "there is nothing wrong at Grand Central Terminal, which is what the MTA handles."

However, at 10:15 p.m., as trains returned to normal service, a spokesperson for the MTA suggested the reason for the rerouting was indeed a bomb threat.

"The trains are back to normal as of now," said Deirdre Parker, MTA spokeswoman. "My understanding is that it was bomb threat, but that's all I know. I don't know anything about the terminal, and the NYPD is taking the lead on it," she said.

Reports surfaced initially from breaking news pages and Twitter feeds.

Twitter users fumed over a lack of news coverage on the rumored scare on Sunday, but the earliest notifications from unverified sources came through at 9:22 p.m.

"I literally can't believe no news outlet is covering this bomb threat at grand central #nyc. Update, anyone?" tweeted Jackie DiBella.

At 11 p.m., an NYPD spokesman said he had received an update from the station's local NYPD precinct, but still would not confirm any bomb scare had occurred.

"Grand Central was not evacuated and trains are running normal," said the spokesman.

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