"Ghost" train travels on its own

"Ghost" train travels on its own

JAKARTA: An empty train traveled 45 kilometers (28 miles) with no driver at the engine and eight wagons in tow before coming to a halt in the center of the Indonesian capital of Jakarta, a report said on Sunday.

The electronic commuter train, parked in the town of Bogor, came to life at around 3:50 am Friday and headed towards Jakarta at about 65 kilometers per hour, sources said.

A railway employee who saw the train begin to move climbed on board in an effort to stop the locomotive but could not enter the driving compartment.

A spokesman for railway operator PT Kereta Api Indonesia, Patria Sutiyoso, said "technical problems" were behind the unscheduled journey, which caused no casualties or damage.

Another spokesman, Zainal Abidin, said there had been no electricity supply to the train and no driver on board.

Bogor is at least 190 meters (630 feet) above sea level while Jakarta is at the coast. The train came to a halt after it failed to climb an incline in the Cikini area, Central Jakarta.--Antara