Passenger 'leaves behind' $278,368 in gold on Switzerland train

Three kilograms of gold found on the carriage of a Swiss train were found in October – and authorities are now keen to return the princely sum to its rightful owner.

A passenger carrying the gold, estimated to be worth $278,368, is believed to have walked away from the sum on a train between St. Gallen and Lucerne, the BBC reported.

After no one came forward to claim the finding, authorities made a public appeal for the owner to come forward.

The Lucerne prosecutor's office said in a press release is giving the owner a generous five years in which to claim the lost wealth.

How Swiss authorities intend to verify ownership remains unclear.