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.
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