High-Speed Rail Radio System Hacked, Causing Emergency Stops; Suspect University Student Arrested and Bailed
A university student was arrested and released on bail after illegally accessing Taiwan High Speed Rail's (THSR) radio system, which caused three trains to make emergency stops. The student was a radio enthusiast who allegedly mimicked THSR's wireless parameters.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 30, 2026 at 11:45
- 🔍 Collected: April 30, 2026 at 12:01 (15 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 30, 2026 at 13:28 (1h 26m after Collected)
Central News Agency (CNA)
(CNA reporter Yeh Chen, Taoyuan, 30th) Taiwan High Speed Rail recently experienced its radio system being illegally accessed, causing three trains to make emergency stops. The Taoyuan District Prosecutors Office today stated that the suspect is a 23-year-old university student surnamed Lin, a radio enthusiast from Taichung. Police arrested him on the 28th, and he was released on NT$100,000 bail last night after questioning.
Taiwan High Speed Rail explained in writing that at 11:23 PM on April 5th, the THSR Control Center suddenly received a general alarm (GA) report from a handheld radio belonging to a maintenance department in the Taichung section, causing three operating trains to make immediate emergency stops according to safety regulations. Following the safety operation SOP, after route inspection and confirming no safety hazards, normal operations resumed at 11:43 PM.
Taiwan High Speed Rail pointed out that the Control Center immediately tried to contact the sender but could not obtain the correct alarm reason, and the unknown person's words during the conversation were contradictory. The person then directly turned off the device to evade further inquiry.
Taiwan High Speed Rail stated that the company immediately judged the case to be complicated and immediately conducted a comprehensive check of handheld radio locations. As no loss or abnormality was found, the company first reported to the local police station at 2 AM on April 6th, and then notified the Railway Police Bureau and the Criminal Investigation Bureau's Telecommunications Investigation Group for assistance in the investigation.
Today, the Taoyuan District Prosecutors Office stated that after receiving notification from the Railway Police Bureau's Criminal Investigation Brigade of the Ministry of the Interior National Police Agency on the 13th, it recognized that this matter involved the safety of national critical public transportation and immediately formed a major criminal case special investigation team.
After collecting evidence and investigating, it was found that the 23-year-old man surnamed Lin, who is still a university student, was highly suspected. He was arrested on the afternoon of the 28th, and three locations including his residence and workplace were searched, seizing relevant radio equipment and electronic devices.
It is understood that Lin, a university student in central Taiwan, is a radio enthusiast and used his own radio to imitate THSR's radio parameters on the day of the incident; since the THSR Control Center is in Taoyuan, the case was handled by the Taoyuan District Prosecutors Office.
The Taoyuan Prosecutors Office stated that after questioning Lin last night, the prosecutor found him to be highly suspected of violating the Railway Act by illegally using computer system vulnerabilities to invade core information and communication systems of important railway facilities or equipment, and illegally interfering with the normal operation of related equipment through other electromagnetic means; and violating the Criminal Code by causing danger to public transportation through other means, and illegally interfering with related equipment through other electromagnetic means. He was released on NT$100,000 bail. (Editor: Huang Ming-Hsi) 1150430
(CNA reporter Yeh Chen, Taoyuan, 30th) Taiwan High Speed Rail recently experienced its radio system being illegally accessed, causing three trains to make emergency stops. The Taoyuan District Prosecutors Office today stated that the suspect is a 23-year-old university student surnamed Lin, a radio enthusiast from Taichung. Police arrested him on the 28th, and he was released on NT$100,000 bail last night after questioning.
Taiwan High Speed Rail explained in writing that at 11:23 PM on April 5th, the THSR Control Center suddenly received a general alarm (GA) report from a handheld radio belonging to a maintenance department in the Taichung section, causing three operating trains to make immediate emergency stops according to safety regulations. Following the safety operation SOP, after route inspection and confirming no safety hazards, normal operations resumed at 11:43 PM.
Taiwan High Speed Rail pointed out that the Control Center immediately tried to contact the sender but could not obtain the correct alarm reason, and the unknown person's words during the conversation were contradictory. The person then directly turned off the device to evade further inquiry.
Taiwan High Speed Rail stated that the company immediately judged the case to be complicated and immediately conducted a comprehensive check of handheld radio locations. As no loss or abnormality was found, the company first reported to the local police station at 2 AM on April 6th, and then notified the Railway Police Bureau and the Criminal Investigation Bureau's Telecommunications Investigation Group for assistance in the investigation.
Today, the Taoyuan District Prosecutors Office stated that after receiving notification from the Railway Police Bureau's Criminal Investigation Brigade of the Ministry of the Interior National Police Agency on the 13th, it recognized that this matter involved the safety of national critical public transportation and immediately formed a major criminal case special investigation team.
After collecting evidence and investigating, it was found that the 23-year-old man surnamed Lin, who is still a university student, was highly suspected. He was arrested on the afternoon of the 28th, and three locations including his residence and workplace were searched, seizing relevant radio equipment and electronic devices.
It is understood that Lin, a university student in central Taiwan, is a radio enthusiast and used his own radio to imitate THSR's radio parameters on the day of the incident; since the THSR Control Center is in Taoyuan, the case was handled by the Taoyuan District Prosecutors Office.
The Taoyuan Prosecutors Office stated that after questioning Lin last night, the prosecutor found him to be highly suspected of violating the Railway Act by illegally using computer system vulnerabilities to invade core information and communication systems of important railway facilities or equipment, and illegally interfering with the normal operation of related equipment through other electromagnetic means; and violating the Criminal Code by causing danger to public transportation through other means, and illegally interfering with related equipment through other electromagnetic means. He was released on NT$100,000 bail. (Editor: Huang Ming-Hsi) 1150430