Four injured in Klender train crash

JAKARTA (JP): Four people were injured in a train crash at Klender, East Jakarta, Monday night, railway officials said yesterday.

The crash at about 9:30 p.m. involved an Argo Lawu executive train plying Jakarta-Surakarta route and a freight train heading for Surabaya.

The Argo Lawu, which was waiting at a red light, was struck from behind by the freight train. The accident worsened already bad traffic congestion in the area where countless vehicles were queuing for fuel.

All four victims were members of the freight train crew. Two were hospitalized after sustaining severe head and body injuries while the other two suffered shock and minor injuries from falling packages.

"The Argo Lawu was waiting for a green light at Pondok Kopi railway station when the packed freight train heading for Surabaya hit it at a speed of about 40 kilometers per hour," Hari, a railway official at Jatinegara station, said.

An eyewitness, Wisnu, said that the freight train driver slammed on the brakes some distance from the Argo Lawu but could not stop in time.

The last car of Argo Lawu was twisted with two of its wheels off the tracks.

Argo Lawu passengers continued their journey after a one-hour delay to remove the damaged car.

The incident delayed the departure of two other trains from Jatinegara and Cipinang stations: the Senja Ekonomi to Yogyakarta and the Citra Jaya to Cilacap.

Meanwhile, a blackout wrought havoc to railway traffic in Bekasi on Monday night and Tuesday morning as electric trains -- which are the backbone of services for local commuters -- were left virtually useless.

Thousands of passengers scrambled for other means of transport to get to Jakarta in the morning peak hours. Some caught train carrying cattle to get their offices in Jakarta on time, Antara reported.

Commuters said that the rearrangement of train schedules by the state railway company, Perumka, had added to the chaotic railway traffic in Bekasi.

"This (schedule rearrangement) explains why trains are often late," said a commuter.

On Monday, for example, a train from Jakarta was about half an hour late.

Commuters have urged the company to announce the new schedule and asked for more trains to Jakarta because the existing ones are always overcrowded during peak hours.

"We just want a clear explanation about the schedule rearrangement," a resident was quoted by Antara as saying. (edt)