TAOYUAN (TVBS News) — Relentless rainfall pummeled northern Taiwan on Thursday (April 10), triggering emergency warnings across nine regions as Taoyuan City bore the brunt of nature's fury. The Central Weather Administration (CWA), Taiwan's national meteorological agency, scrambled to issue torrential rain alerts while the Taiwan Railway Corporation struggled with widespread service disruptions affecting thousands of commuters.
Meteorological officials reported Taoyuan's Pingzhen District (平鎮) suffered extensive flooding as waters rose rapidly throughout the afternoon. By 2:30 p.m., nearby Yangmei District (楊梅區) had recorded a staggering 138 millimeters of rainfall — the highest measurement nationwide. Rising floodwaters submerged railway tracks between Neili (內壢) and Fugang (富岡) stations, forcing complete suspension of service as emergency response teams mobilized to assist the 5,210 passengers affected by 23 delayed trains.
Transit officials announced full refunds without service charges for all unused tickets within the next twelve months. Credit card purchasers must present both their original payment card and ticket for processing. In a separate but related incident, emergency crews launched an urgent search operation after a construction worker at an underpass project disappeared when floodwaters surged through the intersection of Taode Road (桃德路) and Yongfu West Street (永福西街).