Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/10/23
By: Yu Hsiao-han, Worthy Shen and Lee Hsin-Yin
Taipei, Oct. 23 (CNA) The driver of the Puyuma express train that derailed on Oct. 21 had turned off the automatic train protection (ATP) system, which is the main reason why the train took a curve too fast and crashed, the Yilan District Court said in press release Tuesday.
The driver, Yu Cheng-chung (尤振仲), told prosecutors that he had shut off the system near Daxi Station, which was not one of the stops on the express route, and was operating the train manually because he was having problems accelerating, according to the court.
On Monday night, the Yilan District court denied a motion filed by prosecutors to detain Yu, and he was released Tuesday on bail of NT$500,000 (US$16,141).
In its statement after the detention hearing, the court said Yu told prosecutors that the speedometer on the dashboard was not showing the actual speed of the train, which was traveling from New Taipei to Taitung, and that he had to operate it based on his own experience. [FULL STORY]