Police have interviewed an "extremely apologetic" man who they say left what was thought to be a "suspicious" device at the North Melbourne train station, forcing it to be evacuated during the height of the morning peak on Thursday.

The man was seen with a green motorised scooter. ( Supplied: Victoria Police )

Train services were delayed after many came to a halt for more than half an hour.

The man got off a Craigieburn line train at the station at about 6:00am, police were told, and then left a package on the platform before boarding a train on the Watergardens line.

Police said the package "had the appearance of an explosive device", but it was later deemed safe by the bomb response unit.

Police later confirmed the device was an ornament made by the man which he had accidentally left behind at the station.

The 38-year-old Meadow Heights man went to the Broadmeadows police station to be interviewed the day after.

Police said they had closed the investigation and no offence had taken place.

Commuters cram after incident causes delays

The Craigieburn, Upfield, Sunbury, Werribee and Williamstown lines were all affected after the station, a major interchange point with six platforms, was closed around 8:00am.

The suburban services, as well as country services run by regional operator V/Line, were affected by ongoing delays after the station reopened.

Police officers closed surrounding streets. ( ABC News: Patrick Rocca )

On Thursday morning, commuters were cramming onto packed replacement buses to get into the city, and some were choosing to walk from stations including Kensington and South Kensington.

ABC News reporter James Dean was among the thousands of affected commuters.

"We were actually on the train about to leave Footscray station, and then the announcement came over that everyone had to get off the train because we're not leaving in either direction due to a police operation at North Melbourne station," he said.

The station was evacuated at the request of police. ( ABC News: Patrick Rocca )

"Apart from that, we were just told buses would be coming.

"But at this stage only a couple of buses have come for hundreds of people, and we're all kind of just stranded here just waiting for a bus."

The train station is a busy interchange point. ( ABC News: Melissa Brown )

The station reopened just before 9:30am after the device was declared safe.

Metro Trains apologised for any inconvenience.

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