Woman faces hefty fine after jumping onto train tracks for NT$100 bill

Taipei, April 22 (CNA) An elderly woman who jumped down onto the tracks at Taichung railway station to pick up a NT$100 (US$3.17) bill faces a maximum fine of NT$50,000, Taiwan Railway Corp. said Wednesday.

In a press release, Taiwan Railway said the incident occurred at 11:04 a.m. Wednesday, when a female passenger on platform 1 at Taichung Station jumped down onto the tracks to retrieve a banknote.

Unable to climb back up on her own, the woman was pulled back onto the platform with the help of other passengers, the statement said. Police are investigating the incident.

In a video posted on Threads, an older woman in sunglasses and a face mask can be seen looking down the tracks to make sure no trains are approaching, then sitting down, and slowly scooting off the edge of the platform until she disappears from view.

"A-ma! Don't jump down there for a few dollars, the train is coming in three minutes. Luckily they pulled her back up," one person wrote.

Under the Railway Act, pedestrians and vehicles that trespass on railway lines or prohibited areas in stations can be fined NT$10,000 to NT$50,000, Taiwan Railway said.

If the violation affects railway traffic safety and is deemed serious, the penalty can be increased, it said.

In cases where a passenger's belongings fall onto the tracks, they should request assistance from station staff and refrain from trespassing on the track area, which could disrupt train operations and endanger safety, Taiwan Railway said.

The Railway Police Bureau said it plans to review surveillance video footage of the incident, and after identifying the individual will refer her to the transportation ministry to be fined for violations of the Railway Act.