[9][10] Malden Center station opened on December 27, 1975, as part of the MBTA's Haymarket North Extension of the Orange Line.

[1] After the approach trestles to the drawbridges at North Station burned on January 20, 1984, Malden Center became the temporary inbound terminus for the Haverhill Line.

[1] The switch may have been made due to a request by John A. Brennan Jr., who was then constructing a large development near Malden Center station.

It served this role in 2016 during reconstruction work on the Woods Memorial Bridge, which carries the Revere Beach Parkway over the rail lines and the Malden River.

[13] Oak Grove station is usually used during weekday disruptions, as it is closer to the double-track section of the line in Melrose.

[18] Completed in 2005, the ultimately-$10 million project added a second exit stairwell and two elevators, making the station accessible.

[19][20] In 2002, as part of its public art program, the MBTA added panels with artworks by local schoolchildren at Sullivan Square and Malden Center.

[23] The entire Orange Line, including Malden Center station, was closed from August 19 to September 18, 2022, during maintenance work.

[24] Rail service on the inner Haverhill Line was suspended from September 9 to November 5, 2023, to accommodate signal work.

[25] The Encore Boston Harbor casino ran shuttles to Malden Center from its June 2019 opening until mid-2023.