KA Ciremai Semarang-Bandung Journey Completely Halted Due to Landslide

Bandung (ANTARA) - The KA Ciremai train journey on the Semarang Tawang-Bandung route has come to a complete halt midway due to landslide material blocking the Maswati-Sasaksaat track section in West Bandung Regency on Wednesday afternoon. This incident, which threatens the southern rail transport route, occurred precisely at KM 142+8/9 at 14:53 WIB, following heavy rainfall that triggered soil movement at the site. Manager of Public Relations for KAI Daop 2 Bandung, Kuswardojo, confirmed that all emergency response teams have been mobilised to the coordinates to clear the track obstructed by soil material. “We extend our apologies for the inconvenience experienced by KA Ciremai passengers. Currently, journeys must be temporarily halted as a safety measure,” Kuswardojo stated when contacted in Bandung on Wednesday. The first report was received by the Daop 2 Operations Control Centre from the KA Ciremai crew, who reported an obstruction on the track (rinja), preventing the locomotive from continuing to Bandung Station. Kuswardojo emphasised that the top priority is to ensure the safety of all passengers on the halted train, while awaiting the completion of landslide material evacuation by infrastructure officers. As of now, the Maswati-Sasaksaat track section is declared fully closed to all types of train journeys to avoid accident risks due to unstable soil conditions. Technical teams along with heavy equipment are reported to be on site to accelerate track normalisation, considering the geographical position of the incident in a hilly area far from main road access. KAI Daop 2 Bandung continues intensive coordination with relevant parties to determine if overstaying schemes or passenger diversions are needed if the normalisation process takes a long time. “Infrastructure officers have been deployed to evacuate the KA Ciremai situation. We are making maximum efforts to restore the track to normal as quickly as possible without compromising safety aspects,” Kuswardojo added. For affected passengers and families, KAI advises monitoring the company’s official information channels for updates on track status and train positions.