View Full Version : Railwatch Indonesia
Another huge selection of 1:250,000 US Army Map Service Topographic Maps of Indonesia from the 1950s. Also some city maps: -
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/ams/indonesia/
I have a question about this map of Medan. It shows a high concentration of plantation railways around Medan. There are also many rubber gardens marked, but I'm wondering whether the railways actually served something else; perhaps oil palm plantations, for example: -
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/ams/indonesia/txu-oclc-21752461-na47-2.jpg
The maps also show large numbers of opium depots. I somehow doubt whether the modern Medan has these so clearly marked on its maps. It's unclear whether these depots were for the opium harvest or for distribution to a large population of addicts. Given the fact that you hardly need a 'depot' to peddle a drug that in its refined state is heavily concentrated, I imagine that the depots were for collecting a harvest. But I can't really imagine railways being necessary for this crop.
Is the lowland climate here really suitable for opium cultivation? I somehow doubt it. But if so, why didn't Indo try to get into the legal cultivation market? Perhaps because the Muslim elite wanted to get rid of something that smacked too much of the local Chinese presence!? As it is, places with a fairly cool climate, like Tasmania, picked up the legal trade. My guess is that cooler climates (than this location) provide higher (and more competitive) yields.
So I stick with the idea that the railways were used for some bulky crop like oil palm. I've never heard of railways for rubber sheet collection, but I note that many countries use light railways for bulky crops such as sugar cane too. So perhaps sugar cane. Although one notes that oil palm is currently big in Sumatra. (But I also believe it is a more recent arrival.)
These lines don't penetrate far enough into upland areas for timber extraction, and this lowland area has probably been cultivated with rice and other arable crops since time immemorial.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------Dear GWR
All the lines you mentioned are clear on scale 50.000; also in the atlas as mentioned below. I will make some scans from 50.000 maps if you like (but if you have already 50.000 sheets, inform me).
In the atlas special detailmaps all ports from former Dutch East Indie are in---
De Grote Atlas van Nederlands Oost-Indië, 2e uitgebreide editie, geeft naast het indrukwekkend aantal van 530 topografische kaarten tevens de namen en korte beschrijvingen van 2400 cultuurondernemingen, met van elk een korte beschrijving. Dit 8 kg. zware boek telt 480 pagina's, meet 33 bij 46 cm. en is 6 cm. dik. ISBN: 90 74861 24 5; prijs 265 € excl. verzend kosten.
Uitgeverij Asia Maior / KNAG, 2004; email: www.asiamaior.nl en fax: 0111 417 281.
Warm aanbevolen !!
http://www.chatterpillar.net/acehrail/
Indonesia: BRR to act on rebuilding colonial era Medan to Banda Aceh railway (pic)
November 7th 2006 02:44
http://www.chatterpillar.net/userimages/user1868_1162867660.jpg
Tsunami survivor: Banda Aceh's railway station converted to a university building
BRR, Indonesia's Bureau of Reconstruction and Rehabilitation for Aceh and Nias, has listed the restoration of a Dutch colonial railway among its planned major projects, saying trains will be commissioned for carrying the large, ongoing freight in reconstruction materials.
The ball is now in the court of the government in Jakarta, which sees the rail link as a way of strengthening ties between the formerly restive province and the rest of the Indonesian archipelago.
The 600km route of a Dutch colonial era railway between Medan and Banda Aceh dis-used since the 1970s is under examination. Built in 1876, it's very narrow 0.7m gauge could be replaced with 1.435m, for trains running 50pc faster than the 80kph original design speed. At its peak before World War II, the railway carried 9,000 people and 500 tons freight daily.
Making these recommendations is French railway operator SNCF, which Indonesia's Government commissioned in 1994 to conduct a pre-feasibility study on restoring the line. Following the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami that devastated Aceh province, SNCF made the study free of charge.
"We deeply hope that this project becomes a reality," said SNCF International's chairperson Jean-Pierre Loubinoux.
Experts started looking at the condition of the track and its many old steel bridges along the west coast route from Banda Aceh, through Sigli, Bireuen and Lhokseumawe and onto Medan across the border south into North Sumatra province.
Among their observations for a replacement railway:
. Special measures will need to be taken in highly populated areas, where the train driver once used to simply honk a horn to warn of the train's approach.
. Technicians and engineers have been found who were involved with the trains in the 1970s.
. Converted railways stations are among numerous houses build along the route and sections of the old track are smothered with asphalt for use as narrow roads.
AFP source
China to Help Develop Light Rail System in Aceh
Monday, 19-September-2005, 02:14:00
Jakarta, Republika -- China is interested in helping to develop a light railway or street-car system in Banda Aceh, capital of Aceh province which was devastated by a tsunami in December last year.
Kuntoro Mangkusubroto, head of the Aceh and Nias Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Board (BRR), said here Saturday, China`s interest was a result of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono`s visit to China recently.
Prior to his departure for China, the President had asked Kuntoro what was needed in Aceh`s reconstruction. ''I told him that Aceh needed a light railway system as an energy-saving local transportation mode.''
Chinese President Hu Jintao instantly expressed his interest in helping develop a light railway system in Aceh and provided for its implementation in the agreement signed with President Yudhoyono, he said.
When the light railway project ahd been realized, Aceh would be the first city in the country using an energy-saving mass transit system.
''The plan has been evaluated by both governments. We hope the project can be realized in the near future,'' Kuntoro said.
http://www.indonesia-relief.org/mod.php?mod=publisher&op=viewarticle&cid=9&artid=1657
Indonesia To Build Trans-Sumatra Railway
Tuesday, 06-September-2005, 20:46:16
Bandar Lampung, Republika -- Indonesian government today revealed its plan to build Trans Sumatra Railway from Banda Aceh to Bakauheni in all Sumatra governors coordination meeting in Bandar Lampung, capital of Lampung Province.
''The Trans Sumatra Railway will span for 2.151 kilometers across eastern coast of Sumatra Islands. It is estimated that this strategic project will cost around $7.092 million,'' said Harris F, General Director of Railway of Indonesian Transportation Ministry.
The railway will consist of seven stages part of railway blocks. The first and the first block is Banda Aceh-Besitang: 484 km. Recently, French railway company, SNCF (Societe Nationale de Chemin de fer Francois) has studied the project feasibility and SNCF Commercial Director Pascal G presented the study in the governors meeting.
''We have conducted feasibility study toward Banda Aceh - Medan railway, and we hope we could do similar works on another part of the railway plan,'' Pascal told reporters, adding that his company previously has built railway in South Sumatra for coal mining transportation.
The remaining six blocks are: Rantau Prapat - Duri - Dumai: 246 km; Duri - Pekanbaru - Teluk Kuantan - Muaro: 397 km; Teluk Kuantan - Muaro - Bungo - Jambi : 370 km; Jambi - Betung - Palembang - Tanjung Api-api: 340 km; Kilometer Tiga - Bakauheni: 70 km; and Tebing Tinggi - Bengkulu; 244 km.
http://www.indonesia-relief.org/mod.php?mod=publisher&op=viewarticle&cid=19&artid=1615
Dear GWR, you mentioned lines for the Future. I'v send some maps to Ron for the site. A set of some Railwaymaps Sumatra. First the complete line of the "Atjeh Tram" (Staatsspoor) with all stops in the year 1940 from Koetaradja to Pangkalansoeloe. Also in this map the connection with the "Deli Spoorweg" (Deli Railway). Names in the map as the dutch wrote that time. So Pangkalansoeloe and not Pangkalansulu.
Than all Spoor- en Tramwegen on Sumatra, also in 1940. Atjehtram, Deli Railway (DSM=Deli Spoorweg Maatschappij), SS and the later built Warline (Pakanbaroe).
And a Totalmap of Deli Spoorweg Maatschappij, 1940 with all stations and stops. A lot to see on this map.
Later I will send for the 2Bangkok.comsite maps of Java (including Warlines), Tram of Celebes, Tramnetmaps of Batavia and Surabaya. Aspecial railwaymap from Batavia. I hope to find some sources for the lines in Sarawak, labuan and Brunei. I'm still searching for detailed maps from the ports of medan, Belawan and others.
Also featured Frontpage (http://www.2bangkok.com) yesterday:
Dick van der Spek writes: On the forum there were some weeks ago, there was some information about the railways in Sumatra. Herewith a drawing I made from the Aceh Railway (1.34 MB). Maybe interesting for our Railwayforum fans. Its a map I have made for the Great Atlas of the formerly Dutch East Indies, published by Asia Maior in The Netherlands.
http://www.2bangkok.com/07/Atjeh.jpg
Coming Soon!: Map of the Deli Railway in Sumatra
846 Kb:
http://www.2bangkok.com/07/Deli.jpg
Coming Soon: Sumatran railway network
849 Kb:
http://www.2bangkok.com/07/Sumatra.jpg
Sumatra's Death Railway (http://www.the-spiceislands.com/indonesia/deathrailway.htm)
For mr. IrwanJOE, he ask me some questions about Railway maps. Please contact.
Soon I will send a detailed map of Pakanbaru and also railwaymap Java 1932 for the Forum friends.
Sumatra's Death Railway (http://www.the-spiceislands.com/indonesia/deathrailway.htm)
Other sites on this subject:
http://au.geocities.com/frans_taminiau/
http://www.cofepow.org.uk/pages/asia_sumatra4.htm
http://www.cofepow.org.uk/images/sumatra_railway.jpg
Email correspondence amonst survivors and their relatives:
http://www.fepow-community.org.uk/monthly_Revue/html/sumatra_railway.htm
A strange variation on Cambodia's Bamboo Trains (http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showpost.php?p=12549&postcount=13) from the Jakarta Post. Both the link and the caption have since lapsed:
August 31, 2007
ALTERNATE USES: A villager drags a sack of grass on a cart along a disused railway in the hilly area of Bedono, Ambarawa district, Central Java. The railroad, which used to link Yogyakarta and Semarang and was abandoned decades ago, is occasionally used by a tourist train. JP/Tarko Sudiarno
jpatokal
28-10-07, 01:54 PM
Back in 2006 I quoted this from the Jak Post:
The plan underlines the importance of developing the city railway network with the improvement of commuter lines, such as doubling the tracks along the Serpong-Tanah Abang line. Sujadi said the double-track construction would start early next month.
And poking around yesterday, I was shocked to find that they actually completed (http://www.railpage.com.au/f-p897564.htm) the double tracking in May 2007!
State railway company PT KA has completed its construction of a double-track railway linking Tanah Abang in Central Jakarta and Serpong, Banten. ... The track, which has been under construction since August last year, cost the central government Rp 320 billion (US$35.3 million). ... The project included constructing the 23-kilometre double-track, rebuilding 10 stations, two substations and 12 bridges and compensating the owners of semi-permanent houses demolished along the route.
So a pretty impressive amount of work for a small sum by public transport standards... but, alas, there's a catch:
At present, with two trains in operation, the route serves more than 1,000 commuters a day. "We will add more trains to bring the number of trips up to demand," Achmad said.
I'm hoping there's a zero missing in there, but that's still ridiculously tiny for a city of 20-plus million... :(
Mud barriers collapse, hundreds flee in panic
Indra Harsaputra, The Jakarta Post, Sidoarjo
http://www.thejakartapost.com/caption/truck1.jpg
[Photo: Jakarta Post - MUD ACCIDENT: A trailer truck carrying food is trapped in mud and overturns Friday in Sidoarjo, East Java. Spewing mud breached an embankment on Thursday night, causing panic and further damage there. (JP/Indra Harsaputra)]
An embankment built to contain the hot mud that has been flowing from an oil drilling well in Porong, Sidoarjo regency, East Java, has collapsed, forcing hundreds of residents to flee in panic.
The collapsed embankment has caused mud to flow into the area, paralyzing the nearby railway track and road transportation.
Mudflow Mitigation Agency's coordinating team head Soenarso said Friday the embankment collapsed at 10 p.m. on Thursday at Ketapang Keres village in Tanggulangin district, Sidoarjo.
"We've been able to repair the damage of the nine-meter embankment, but we will work hard to exhaust water and mud, which has submerged railway tracks and the main road with 20 to 80 centimeters of mud," Sonarso said.
On Thursday night, mud levels had reportedly reached one meter.
Vehicles were trapped when a truck transporting instant food packages overturned in the flow of the water.
Soenarso said the collapse was caused by the sinking level of land surface around the main embankment near the well.
He said the collapse had forced water and mud to be unable to flow into the Porong river and that it was instead flowing toward nearby residential sites outside affected areas.
"The embankment was strong enough to contain the water so that it collapsed," Soenarso said.
"The condition was worsened by the heavy rain and opposition from local people to a plan for the construction of an addition embankment.
"I've reminded the residents about the danger of the hot mud flow, but they insist not to move on grounds they have not received compensation from Lapindo Brantas Inc."
Lapindo Brantas is the company responsible for the flow of mud from its oil drilling activities.
The Thursday's embankment collapse disrupted Jalan Raya Porong and the Surabaya-Malang and Surabaya-Banyuwangi railway traffic.
Police were forced to detour land transportation to the Krian-Mojosari route, while seven railway schedules were delayed.
The deputy head of Gubeng railway station in Surabaya, Budi Setiono, said delays across seven routes had caused the state railway company PT Kereta Api Indonesia to suffer losses amounting to Rp 150 million (US$16,600).
All sold tickets were refunded, Budi said.
Soenarso said at least 135 people were forced to evacuate.
"The affected residents will get assistance in the form of health services and food," he said.
But East Java Governor Imam Utomo said Friday residents affected by the Thursday's collapse would not get compensation or be relocated as the incident did not belong to any extraordinary occurrence.
"The residents can still return to their houses after the mud and water subside," he said.
Agnes Tuti Rumiati, head of the community research agency of the Surabaya November 10 Technology Institute, said if the mud flow could not be fully handled, East Java province would suffer losses amounting to an estimated Rp 34 trillion.
"The losses are calculated based on the multiplier effect, ranging from the losses of jobs, closures of factories and disruption of traffic and trade," she said.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailheadlines.asp?fileid=20080105.@01&irec=0
Earlier report on the economic & social effects of the mud eruption:
http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showthread.php?t=2366
SBY to inaugurate double-track line
PURWOREJO (Antara): President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is scheduled to commission a double-track railway link between Kutoarjo in Purworejo, Central Java, and Yogyakarta on Tuesday.
The event will take place at the Kutoarjo station, state railway company Kereta Api Indonesia spokesman Noor Hamidi said Monday.
He said the 64-kilometer track was constructed from 2004 to 2007 at a total cost of Rp 900 billion provided by the Japanese government through the Japan Bank for International Cooperation.
The construction project was intended to improve railway services by increasing train traffic frequency, Hamidi said.
He said that at the same occasion, Yudhoyono would also commission an electric train depot of Kereta Api's Jabotabek (Jakarta-Bogor-Tangerang-Bekasi) division in Depok, West Java, by a teleconference facility at the Kutoarjo station.
"The president will sign two plaques and then conduct a teleconference with Depok," he said, adding that after the inauguration, the head of state and his entourage would return to Yogyakarta by a special train.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailgeneral.asp?fileid=20080121192127&irec=0
Yappofloyd
23-01-08, 11:43 PM
Three years to do 64kms? At that rate, the whole rather scenic section from Jakarta to Yogja via Bundung could perhaps be done in about 30yrs!
I last traveled the line to Yogja 5 years ago and by coincidence I traveled this new section last evening coming from Bundung to Yogja. The Kutoarjo station had received a kitchy fresh coat of paint (lurid green and yellow) - A late night pic of the freshly painted station;
http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg75/yappofloyd/SANY0223.jpg
After an average of 60-70 kms with some waiting at passing loops for many hours, the train was able to travel at something approaching 100kms on the new double track section and I enjoyed sticking my head out occasionally watching the rice paddies and villages pass under a near full moon. Nice to still be able to open the door on an Esekutif train (Indo 1st class).
Depok opens train maintenance facility Jakarta Post 23/01/08
An electric train maintenance facility in Depok, West Java, was officially opened by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Tuesday. The President spoke via remote link-up from Kutoarjo in Central Java. West Java Governor Dani Setiawan, who attended the launch, said the 26-hectare facility was the largest train depot in Southeast Asia. Extending 1.3 kilometers in length and 200 meters in width, it has 14 stabling lines that can accommodate up to 224 trains.
The area also contains large office and maintenance buildings, as well as 30 rooms with 120 beds for train drivers and engineers. The depot was constructed between Aug. 2004 and Aug. 2007 at a total cost of Rp 504 billion, which was provided in state budget allocations and through Japan Bank for International Cooperation loans. "This way we can maintain our trains better and improve our services for the city's commuters," said Harijogi, the general secretary of the Ministry of Transportation.
Akhmad Sujadi, the spokesman for the Greater Jakarta branch of state-owned railway company PT Kereta Api, said 402 electric train services were offered in the Greater Jakarta area, including between the capital and Bekasi, Bogor, Depok and Serpong. "We plan to add 56 more services this year," he said.The President was in Kutoarjo to launch a 64-kilometer double-track railway line connecting Kutoarjo in Central Java and Yogyakarta.
End
Gradually, the national line PT Kereta Api is expanding the train services to the outer areas of Jakarta cities such as Depok, Bogor & Tangerang using ex Japanese suburban trains and running express services about every hour. SRT in Bangkok could really learn something from this example even though it has already been proposed.
said the 26-hectare facility was the largest train depot in Southeast Asia Wondering if this claim can really be correct?
http://www.indonesia-relief.org/mod.php?mod=publisher&op=viewarticle&cid=19&artid=1615
The Sumatra line is interesting in that it starts at roughly the point of the rather fanciful Melaka Straits Bridge. But tucked in this report is also the info that an MOU has already been signed for a 500 Km line in central Kalimantan:
Possible Rail Link: Riau, Sumatra
Username By Barrie | June 11th, 2007 |
After failing to secure a double-track railway project from Cirebon to Kroya in Java, the China Railway Engineering Corporation (CREC) is now eyeing even bigger projects in Riau and Central Kalimantan.
CREC president Li Changjin met Vice President Jusuf Kalla and Riau Governor Rusli Zainal here on Thursday to discuss the possibility of the company building a new 400-kilometer rail line in Riau, linking Dumai, Duri, Pekanbaru, Taluk Kuantan and Muaro in Jambi.
Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Rusli said that CREC had come up with a pricing scheme for the project — US$15 million per kilometer — with trains able to travel at up to 250 kilometers per hour. This means the total cost of the project would be US$6 billion.”But that’s for a line capable of carrying trains at 250 kilometers per hour. We don’t need trains traveling at that speed. Half of that would be enough for us, and this would mean the cost would be roughly about half of the originally estimate, which would be acceptable to us,” Rusli said.
In addition to CREC, Rusli said that a German engineering firm had also expressed interest in the project.
“Let’s see what’s the best offer they put on the table. In terms of technology, both the German and Chinese technology is good. Our concern now is about pricing,” he said.
Last month, CREC, the biggest railway engineering company in China, signed a memorandum of understanding with the Central Kalimantan administration to build a 500-kilometer-long rail line in the province.
During Thursday’s meeting, Li and Kalla discussed financing possibilities for the Central Kalimantan railway project. It is still not clear how much the project will cost, how it will be financed and when it might start.
Earlier, CREC had been selected to build a double-track rail line from Cirebon in West Java to Kroya in Yogyakarta, to be financed using loans from the Chinese government. However, the government decided that the pricing scheme proposed by CREC was too expensive.
Rusli said whichever company won the railway project in Riau would be required to also supply the funding, either from borrowing or from its government. While the overall scheme had still not been finalized, it would have to be in line with the newly-passed Railway Law.
When asked about funding, Rusli said that his administration needed to discuss this with the central government. He said Riau was ready to pay for part of the cost.
He said the Riau rail project was included on the central government’s list of priority projects to be commenced in the near future.
“Last year, we had planned to make a budget allocation for the project, but as it had not yet been fully hammered out, we didn’t proceed. However, we are ready to allocate the money as soon as the project is ready and on the table,” he said.
Riau is one of the richest provinces in Indonesia. Half of the country’s crude oil production of about 1 million barrels per day comes from Riau, and the provincial government receives a significant proportion of the revenues accruing from this from the central government.
When asked if a rail line was really needed in Riau, considering the sparseness of the province’s population, Rusli said it would not only carry people, but also freight, particularly oil-palm kernels and timber for the province’s pulp and paper mills.
Riyadi Suparno
http://www.planetmole.org/daily/possible-rail-link-riau-sumatra.html
JAKARTA, July 31 Asia Pulse - The cost of building a railway project in Central Kalimantan is estimated to reach US$710 million, head of the regional transport office Masduki said.
The fund will be used to finance the construction of 183.5 kilometer railway track between Puruk Cahu and Mengkatip,...
http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-6803502/RAILWAY-PROJECT-IN-C-KALIMANTAN.html
You would have to subscribe to get the rest of the above 2007 report.
I seem to remember that the Thai coal mining group Banphu is also involved in plans to build a freight line of reasonable length in East Kalimantan.
European Investor Interested in Kalimantan Railway Project
Monday, 04 December, 2006 | 16:52
TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: The government's plan of offering a project of rail track that connects South Kalimantan and Central Kalimantan has a positive response from foreign investors.
According to the Secretary General of the Department of Transportation Wendi Aritonang, there are two European investors that have expressed interest in joining the project. One of them is from France, which will invite a local company to join it He said that he did not remember the name and the origin of the other investor.
”The two investors have calculated the investment that will be disbursed in the project,” said Wendi last week in Jakarta.
In the calculation, he entered the variable as the government's guarantee. The guarantee took the form of support from the regional government in the construction process, especially land acquisition and the company's commitment that will make use of the train to use the track.
The train in Kalimantan will carry mining goods and farming products. Data of the Department of Transportation has it that the rail track spans 138 kilometers from Banjarmasin (South Kalimantan) to Palangkaraya (Central Kalimantan). The project has high priority status. In other words, it must be built soon. Construction will cost US$201.2 million.
In regard to the project, so far the concession that will be granted to investors has not yet been set. Wendi has explained that the concession will be based on the calculation of tariff and time. “If the tariff is set at low rate, the concession time will be lengthened, and vice versa,” he said.
HARUN MAHBUB
http://www.tempointeraktif.com/hg/ekbis/2006/12/04/brk,20061204-88908,uk.html
I suppose Palangkaraya in this report could be Puruk Cahu in the previous report and 183 could have accidentally been reversed or vice-versa to 138. Certainly these two places are visible on the map at about 138 kms apart.
Itochu to build railway transport facility in Kalimantan.(CORPORATE NEWS IN BRIEF)
Indonesian Commercial Newsletter, March, 2007
ITOCHU TO BUILD RAILWAY TRANSPORT FACILITY IN KALIMANTAN. Itochu Corporation said it will build railway project estimated to cost US$ 1 billion, the first in Kalimantan to facilitate coal transport. The project to be built in Central Kalimantan will include rail tracks, procurement of railway coaches, and loading an unloading stations, Itochu Chief Officer Yosuo Ichiwara said.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb150/is_200703/ai_n19284496
IrwanJOE
05-04-08, 01:20 AM
For mr. IrwanJOE, he ask me some questions about Railway maps. Please contact.
Soon I will send a detailed map of Pakanbaru and also railwaymap Java 1932 for the Forum friends.
Thank you, Dick. I love that map
See also Jakarta Railwatch:
http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showthread.php?t=2730
Saturday, April 12, 2008 8:50 PM
PT KA to add trains to two lines
Tifa Asrianti , The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Sat, 04/12/2008 11:17 AM |
State-owned railway company PT Kereta Api (PT KA) will increase the frequency of electric trains running between Jakarta and Bekasi in West Java and Serpong in Banten, an official said Friday.
As part of the plan, the company has ordered new air-conditioned cars from Japan.
"We will have 16 cars coming from Japan in June or July to add to our air-conditioned economy trains," PT KA Jakarta spokesman Akhmad Sujadi said.
He said the additional cars would allow the company to run 12 trains daily to both Bekasi and Serpong.
There are currently six to eight daily trains on those lines.
PT KA plans to replace all non-AC economy carriages with AC economy carriages by 2010. Once the conversion is complete, the cheapest fare for Greater Jakarta passengers will be Rp 6,000 (63 US cents). The current ticket price for non-AC lines is Rp 2,000.
PT KA runs AC economy trains between Jakarta and Bekasi, Serpong, Depok and Bogor.
Akhmad said PT KA was optimistic passengers would gradually shift to AC trains because the price was reasonable.
"The train routes are longer than most buses," he said.
"We've seen a shift in passenger preference. The AC trains used to have only 10 percent of total passengers, but now it has 20 percent. That's a significant increase," Akhmad said.
In 2007, the railway company served 118 million passengers or an average of 380,000 passengers per day, excluding Sundays. Of these, 60 percent traveled on the Bogor line, 26 percent on the Bekasi line, 11 percent on the Serpong line and 3 percent on the Tangerang line.
"This year, we aim to get 120 million passengers and we expect to be serving 1.5 million passengers per day by 2014 (about 4.7 million a year without Sundays)," he said.
PT KA will continue to provide a non-AC train for Bogor fruit vendors who commute to Jakarta early in the morning.
"They may not feel comfortable carrying their produce on AC trains. We'll accommodate their needs," he said.
According to Akhmad, the revitalization is in line with safety improvement programs.
"The air-conditioned cars can be closed. There is a guard to secure the carriage doors and passengers can sit comfortably," he said, adding people often broke the doors of non-AC trains.
The AC cars from Japan are used, with each costing between Rp 800 million and Rp 1 billion.
"We can't afford to buy new ones because they cost between Rp 10 and 11 billion each," he said.
The company currently has 500 cars, including 180 non-AC cars, serving Jakarta and its outlying areas.
"We still have to replace another 100 cars by 2010," Akhmad said.
He said the Ciliwung circle line carried only 500 passengers per day, even though its maximum capacity is 400 passengers per journey.
"The low capacity is due to the lack of connections to other modes of transportation. Passengers who get off at Duri station, for example, find it difficult to switch to other transportation. The transportation agency should help us out with the stations," he said.
Head of the transportation agency, Nurachman, said his agency had already helped by building busway shelters at several stations, such as Manggarai and Senen.
"Jatinegara will also be connected to the busway when the new lanes are operational. We can't build any connecting shelters in Duri because the road is too narrow, but we've provided a busway shelter in Roxy," he said.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2008/04/12/pt-ka-add-trains-two-lines.html
The Sumatra line is interesting in that it starts at roughly the point of the rather fanciful Melaka Straits Bridge. But tucked in this report is also the info that an MOU has already been signed for a 500 Km line in central Kalimantan:
You would have to subscribe to get the rest of the above 2007 report.
I seem to remember that the Thai coal mining group Banphu is also involved in plans to build a freight line of reasonable length in East Kalimantan.
http://www.tempointeraktif.com/hg/ekbis/2006/12/04/brk,20061204-88908,uk.html
I suppose Palangkaraya in this report could be Puruk Cahu in the previous report and 183 could have accidentally been reversed or vice-versa to 138. Certainly these two places are visible on the map at about 138 kms apart.
BA to improve coal transport systems
The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Sat, 05/31/2008 12:07 PM | Business
Having received approval during a shareholders meeting Thursday night, publicly listed state coal mining company PT Tambang Batubara is set to begin upgrading its coal transportation systems.
PTBA will establish a joint venture with state railway company PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) to upgrade a coal transportation system in Sumatra this year.
The coal transportation system consists of two railway tracks: From Tanjung Enim coal mine in South Sumatra to Tarahan Port in Bandar Lampung, and the second from Tanjung Enim to Kertapati pier in Palembang.
PTBA president director Sukrisno told reporters after a shareholders meeting the upgrade was intended to gradually increase coal carrying capacity on railway tracks from eight million tons per year to 20 million tons within five years.
The total investment for the upgrade, he said, could reach up to Rp 6.39 trillion (US$686 million), with 70 percent coming from loans and the rest from the two companies' internal cash flows, of which PTBA would be responsible for up to 30 percent.
PTBA will also team up with PT Transpacific Railway Infrastructure (TRI) and China Railway Engineering Corporation (CREC) to develop another railway track connecting Tanjung Enim to Tarahan port.
"The new railway track is expected to be ready for use in 2013," Sukrisno said.
The development of the railway track is estimated to absorb $1.06 billion, of which 70 percent, or $743 million, will be financed through loans and the rest generated from the companies: with PTBA contributing 10 percent, TRI 80 percent and CREC 10 percent.
With TRI, the company also plans to establish a joint venture, to be called PT Mining, to develop a coal mine in Bangko Tengah, South Sumatra, which may require a total investment of $19.19 million, 70 percent of which would come from loans.
The company expects the mine to produce 5 million tons in the first year, 10 million tons in the second and 20 million in the third.
Among the company's other plans this year, Sukrisno said, had been the acquisition of a 100 percent stake in state-owned coal shipping company PT Pelayaran Bahtera Adhiguna. The plan, however, was rejected by the majority of the shareholders.
"We only got a 48 percent vote of approval from the shareholders for this acquisition plan," Sukrisno said, adding that a minimum 50 percent was required.
PTBA aims to boost sales volume by 20 percent to 13 million tons in 2008, with 60 percent allocated for domestic consumption.
With the increased sales volume, PTBA is targeting to increase its net profit by more than 20 percent from Rp 760 billion in 2007.
"For this year, we're optimistic to get a profit of more than Rp 1 trillion," Sukrismo said.
In the first quarter of this year, PTBA booked a 29 percent increase in sales income to Rp 1.23 trillion, causing its net profit to grow 44 percent to Rp 286.39 billion due to increases in prices and demands. (rff)
http://www.thejakartapost.com/node/170548
Yappofloyd
02-09-08, 01:34 AM
Railway company adds trains, workers ahead of Ramadhan - Wahyoe Boediwardhana and Khairul Saleh , The Jakarta Post 30/08/08
The state-run railway company PT Kereta Api has planned to hire 600 workers and to add 55 trains to anticipate more passengers during the month of Ramadan and Idul Fitri holidays, an official said. "We are trying to encourage people to travel by train at low cost instead of by motorcycle. Motorcycles are the main cause of traffic jams along northern Java's coastal route," Transportation Minister Jusman Safei Jamal said.
Speaking after an official inspection at the railroad's Malang branch, East Java, on Wednesday, Jusman said the company would add on 20 new economy-class trains and 27 new business-class trains to serve routes in Java and Sumatra. Jusman said the company would also add eight new inner-city commuter trains in West Java, Central Java and East Java, adding the company would repair existing trains and improve train facilities. The company also would provide more executive-class trains and to add one coach each to executive-class Gajayana, Kertajaya and Pasundan trains, he said.
Jusman added Kereta Api had plans in the works to replace old Sapu Jagat economy-class trains with 20 new commuter trains and replace 30 small locomotives with newer, bigger ones able to pull 14 coaches. He said the company would specially train its locomotive engineers and hire 600 workers to inspect all railways and track across Java. He said the government prioritized railroad inspection because about 75 percent of travelers in Java preferred to use land transportation, such as trains.
Meanwhile, the head of Kereta Api's East Java operations, Mulianta Sinulingga, said 150 of the 600 new hires would be mobilized in that region. "Those 600 temporary workers are being hired to strengthen our team. They will inspect and patrol in those areas highly prone to crime and natural disaster, such as the Wonokerto-Bantur route, Sumber Pucung pit and some routes adjacent to the Perhutani forest area," Mulianta said.
The ministry predicts the number of holiday travelers this year will reach up to 15.7 million. About six million will use buses and other roadway transportation, three million will opt for trains, four million will choose ships and 1.8 million will travel by air. The director of Kereta Api, Ronny Wahyudi, said the procurement of the 55 new trains, worth Rp 55 billion (US$5.9 million), was intended to meet passenger demands and to bring passengers from air travel over to train travel. "We will allocate the profit of this operation to procure new trains to replace the old ones," said Ronny.
Separately, the spokesperson for the Southern Sumatra branch of Kereta Api, Darmawan, said his Palembang office had added two economy-class trains and two business-class trains in anticipation of the increased seasonal demand. "We prepared them all to anticipate any eventuality ahead of the holiday. The number of tickets sold so far are still at normal levels. We haven't yet seen a significant increase in passengers. "Normally we have 5,000 passengers a day. That will double during Ramadan, when many people travel home or visit relatives," said Darmawan
He said the railway company had also prepared the Sapu Jagat economy-class train and Limex Sriwijaya business-class train to serve the Palembang-Tanjung Karang route in Lampung. Darmawan said Kereta Api preferred to add more economy and business-class coaches rather than executive ones because most people were likely to choose them.
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