A man who train surfed from Taipei to Keelung on Saturday, clinging precariously between two carriages, is likely to be fined for breaking the law, railway authorities said.
The man, identified by his surname, Tsai (蔡), got off a Taitung-bound Taroko Express train at Nangang Station in Taipei to purchase something, and when he returned, the train’s doors had already closed, Taiwan Railway Corp (TRC) and the Railway Police Bureau said.
In an apparent panic, the man climbed onto the coupling between the third and fourth carriages as the train was leaving the station, the authorities said.
Photo: Wu Su-wei, Taipei Times
TRC said that its personnel at Xizhi Station in New Taipei City noticed something suspicious on surveillance camera monitors, and they informed the train conductor and control center of the issue at about 8:15pm on Saturday.
According to the authorities, when the train was ordered to stop at Qidu Station in Keelung, the man went down on the track and was then pulled onto the platform by railway police.
Tsai, aged about 40, was not injured during the incident, which caused no more than a five-minute delay at Qidu Station, the railway company said.
However, Tsai now faces a fine of NT$1,500 to NT$7,500, the Railway Police Bureau said, citing Articles 57 and 71 of the Railway Act (鐵路法).
Following the incident, TRC urged passengers to adhere to safety rules and avoid putting themselves and others in danger.
In other news, a female passenger died after climbing a barrier and jumping onto the tracks at Fuzhong Station on the Taipei Metro’s Bannan Line, New Taipei City Fire Department said on Saturday evening.
Emergency responders said the woman showed no vital signs when she was pulled from the tracks and rushed to Far Eastern Memorial Hospital. The exact sequence of events is under investigation.
According to Taipei Metro, the incident occurred at 6:53pm, when the woman reportedly climbed over the platform screen doors on the Dingpu-bound platform and jumped onto the tracks as a train was approaching, which struck her.
The station manager immediately went onto the tracks to assist, and emergency services, including police and medical personnel, were dispatched to the scene.
The incident led to significant service disruptions. To maintain operations, Taipei Metro implemented a single-track, two-way service between Far Eastern Hospital Station and Jiangzicui Station, with trains running every 16 minutes.
A shuttle bus service was also activated between Haishan Station and Longshan Temple Station to accommodate affected passengers, it said.
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
Temperatures in northern Taiwan are forecast to reach as high as 30°C today, as an ongoing northeasterly seasonal wind system weakens, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said yesterday that with the seasonal wind system weakening, warmer easterly winds would boost the temperature today. Daytime temperatures in northern Taiwan and Yilan County are expected to range from 28°C to 30°C today, up about 3°C from yesterday, Tseng said. According to the CWA, temperature highs in central and southern Taiwan could stay stable. However, the weather is expected to turn cooler starting tonight as the northeasterly wind system strengthens again
COOLING OFF: Temperatures are expected to fall to lows of about 20°C on Sunday and possibly 18°C to 19°C next week, following a wave of northeasterly winds on Friday The Central Weather Administration (CWA) on Sunday forecast more rain and cooler temperatures for northern Taiwan this week, with the mercury dropping to lows of 18°C, as another wave of northeasterly winds sweeps across the country. The current northeasterly winds would continue to affect Taiwan through today, with precipitation peaking today, bringing increased rainfall to windward areas, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng (劉沛滕) said. The weather system would weaken slightly tomorrow before another, stronger wave arrives on Friday, lasting into next week, Liu said. From yesterday to today, northern Taiwan can expect cool, wet weather, with lows of 22°C to 23°C in most areas,
RSS