Rail transport in Indonesia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Most rail transport in Indonesia is on Java, which has two major rail lines that run the length of the island, as well as several minor lines. State operator PT Kereta Api Indonesia has a monopoly on rail transport, with passenger and freight service on all of the lines. There is also commuter rail service in the Jakarta metropolitan area.
The only other areas in Indonesia having railroads are two separate regions of Sumatra, one in the north around Medan, and one near the southern tip.
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[edit] Historical overview
[edit] Before 1949
During the period of Dutch rule, railroads on the island of Java were developed by Dutch, Germany and British interests. The first railroads were built to standard gauge in southern Java by the Nederlandse Indische Spoorwegen Maatschappij (NISM, the Dutch Indies Railroad Company) in the mid 1860s.
Narrow gauge lines eventually proved cheaper to build and more profitable. A three foot, six inch gauge became the standard throughout the islands. Decauville or two foot gauge 'sugar tram' lines were extensive throughout the sugar factory regions of Java, and steam hauled.
During the Japanese occupation of Java during the Second World War, sections of the standard gauge lines, and rolling stock were removed and transported to Manchuria.
[edit] 1949 - present
Indonesia's railroads continued to use steam locomotives well into the post-independence period. However by the 1980's most steam had either been scrapped, sent to the Ambarawa rail heritage museum, or was being utilised on the sugar tram lines.
Private railroads owned by the Dutch and other foreigners were nationalized by 1971.
The government announced plans for a major new project, the Trans-Sulawesi Railway, in 2004. The railway is proposed to run the length of Sulawesi, beginning with a 150 km link between Makassar and Pare-Pare.
[edit] Infrastructure
[edit] Right of way, track and structures
As of 2003, there were 6,458 km of mixed narrow gauge rail tracks in Indonesia, of which about 100 km were electrified.
[edit] Rolling stock
[edit] Regulation
[edit] References
- United States Central Intelligence Agency (June 2, 2005), The World Fact Book: Indonesia. Retrieved June 17, 2005.
- Garratt, Colin. The World Encyclopedia of Locomotives Anness Publishing (London), 2003, p. 47.
- History of Railways in Indonesia
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