Thousands stranded in train stations due to cable drop<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Thousands of commuters in Gambir, Gondangdia,
\nTebet and Manggarai railway stations in Jakarta were left
\nstranded on Friday when their trains failed to depart due to a
\ndamaged overhead power cable.<\/p>\n
A cable came down at Tebet station at 5:45 p.m., for an
\nunknown reason, and resulted in a number of electric trains being
\nleft stuck on the lines thus preventing other trains from
\npassing, according to Zainal Abidin, spokesman for the state-run
\nrailway company PT Kereta Api Indonesia (PT KAI).<\/p>\n
\"We will use locomotives to shunt the trains to Manggarai
\nstation as they are blocking the tracks,\" he told The Jakarta
\nPost.<\/p>\n
Zainal said it was unclear when the cable would be repaired
\nand whether the trains which usually pass through the station
\ncould be rerouted.<\/p>\n
\"At this time, we can only offer our apologies,\" he said.<\/p>\n
At Manggarai station, Central Jakarta, hundreds of passengers
\nwere upset after waiting for hours for their trains, which still
\nhad not appeared at about 8 p.m.<\/p>\n
Most of them were waiting for trains to take them in the
\ndirection of Bogor.<\/p>\n
A passenger said that earlier this month he had also been left
\nstranded for hours at the same station.<\/p>\n
\"On the other day they said it happened because it (the cable)
\nwas struck by lighting. And now, what's going on?\" Budi, 35,
\ngrumbled.<\/p>\n
\"There is no clear information about this incident. We have
\nonly heard that something is wrong in Tebet, but we don't know
\nwhat is really going on,\" said the Bogor resident, who works in
\nthe city.<\/p>\n
A policeman on duty at the railway station told The Jakarta
\nPost at about 7 p.m. that at least five trains should have
\ndeparted Manggarai station heading for Bogor.<\/p>\n
One train has five or six coaches and during rush hour there
\nare at least 100 people crowding into each coach, according to
\nthe officer.<\/p>\n
Many impatient passengers took buses or other forms of public
\ntransportation, while many others preferred to wait it out at the
\nstation.<\/p>\n
\"Tomorrow, I'm off, so I don't mind waiting until late,\" said
\na man.<\/p>\n
He said that if he were to take a bus, he would have to go to
\nKampung Rambutan bus terminal. As there was no public
\ntransportation going directly to the terminal, he would have to
\nchange buses twice and it would take about one hour. It would
\ntake another hour from the bus terminal to Bogor.<\/p>\n
\"If I take a train, it only takes an hour,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the Argo Gede express train serving the Jakarta-
\nBandung route, which was scheduled to leave Gambir station at 6
\np.m., eventually departed one hour late due to the blocked tracks
\nat Manggarai.<\/p>\n
\"A Gajayana train serving the Gambir-Malang route had to go
\nback to Gambir because the line was blocked by an electric train.
\nAnother electric train heading to Bekasi is still stuck there on
\nthe line,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The Gajayana train eventually departed about an hour
\nlate.(bby\/04\/06)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/thousands-stranded-in-train-stations-due-to-cable-drop-1447893297",
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