New business train derails, one hurt at Palmerah station<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): A new business train plying the Merak-Jakarta
\nroute derailed yesterday at the Palmerah railway station,
\nhospitalizing one man.<\/p>\n
The accident which occurred at 1:34 p.m. yesterday forced all
\ntrains going through Palmerah station to be stopped.<\/p>\n
Witnesses said locomotive No. CC 201107 disconnected from its
\nseven coaches and sped uncontrollably before it struck a locked
\nrailway switch and ran into an electrical pole at the station.
\nThe train's carriages then slammed into the back of the
\nlocomotive.<\/p>\n
"The crash produced a deafening sound," Tedja, a witness said.
\nHe was on his bicycle when the accident happened.<\/p>\n
A passing small sedan was hit by a falling electric pole. The
\ndriver suffered only minor injuries.<\/p>\n
The coaches, carrying around 50 passengers, also hit the
\nlocked railway switch and six of the seven coaches were damaged.<\/p>\n
The train had been in trial operation for only three days and
\nMinister of Transportation Haryanto Dhanutirto was to launch the
\nnew train on Nov. 10.<\/p>\n
The train was designed to take an hour off the three hour trip
\nfrom Merak to Kota (downtown) station in West Jakarta.<\/p>\n
"A cyclist was hit by a flying sleeper. He is now being
\ntreated at the Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital," police said.
\nHe said the cyclist, Mi'in, was a food vendor.<\/p>\n
No one could explain how the accident happened. The train
\ndriver Siswanto and his assistant Sutardjo refused to comment.<\/p>\n
The two men, who are being questioned at the Tanah Abang
\npolice subprecinct, talked to each other very slowly, about the
\naccident in the Palmerah railway station office.<\/p>\n
Two passengers, Sule and Yunus, said they could not understand
\nwhy the train went so fast.<\/p>\n
"Since the train left Merak at about 11:00 a.m. it seemed to
\nbe at full speed. A friend suggested that I use the new train. I
\npaid Rp 10,000 for the Merak-Jakarta ticket," Sule said.<\/p>\n
Another passenger, Yunus, who took the train from Rangkas
\nBitung, also said the train went very fast.<\/p>\n
"Some of glasses and thermos bottles in the restaurant carriage
\nbroke as the coaches shook terribly. A restaurant attendant asked
\nthe train driver to sign a statement saying that the glasses and
\nthermos bottles were broken because of the wiggling coaches. The
\nrestaurant attendant said he did not want to be blamed for the
\ndamage," Yunus said.<\/p>\n
Yunus paid Rp 7,000 for the ticket from Rangkas Bitung.<\/p>\n
Yan Mulyana, the Palmerah station head could not be contacted.
\nOne of his staff said the material losses were still being
\ncalculated. "We need at least three days to repair things. You
\nsee most of the tracks are broken," he said.<\/p>\n
He said 48 passenger and goods trains stopped by the Palmerah
\nrailway station everyday.<\/p>\n
There are eight trains plying Jakarta-Merak, 12 plying
\nJakarta-Cigading, six plying Jakarta-Serpong, 12 Jakarta
\nRangkas Bitung, two Jakarta-Cilegon and eight Jakarta-Parung
\nPanjang, he said. (sur\/jun)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/new-business-train-derails-one-hurt-at-palmerah-station-1447893297",
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