Bandung-Semarang railway reopened

BANDUNG, West Java: State-owned railway operator PT Kereta Api Indonesia reopened on Tuesday its Bandung-Semarang route after a three-year shutdown because of declining passenger load.

KAI spokesman Akhmad Sujadi said the all-executive class train Harina began its operation on Tuesday night.

Harina runs every night from Bandung and Semarang over a 7.5- hour route. Passing through Cikampek, Cirebon and Tegal, Harina uses a different route than its predecessor, which ceased to operate in April 2000.

Akhmad said the first Bandung-Semarang route was opened in July 1998, and was shut down when the average passenger load fell to 40 percent.

Travelers now pay Rp 100,000 (US$11) for a Bandung-Semarang executive ticket. The ticket costs Rp 75,000 for the Bandung- Tegal, and Rp 50,000 for the Bandung-Cirebon route. -- JP