One more express train in Sept

BANDUNG, West Java (JP): The state-owned railway company Perumka will launch in September the Argo Lawu train, an express train able to travel between Jakarta and Surakarta in Central Java in just seven hours.

Company president Soemino Eko Saputro said here yesterday that Perumka is currently operating a trial service with its Solojaya train.

"The traveling time between Jakarta and Surakarta is now about nine hours. With the Solojaya train we will reduce the traveling time between the two cites gradually to 8 hours and then to 7.5 hours. When we launch the Argo Lawu train, the traveling time will be set at just seven hours."

Perumka currently operates several express trains, including the Argo Gede train linking Jakarta and Bandung in just two hours and the Argo Bromo train which links Jakarta and Surabaya, East Java, in nine hours.

Soemino also announced that Perumka will become a profit- oriented enterprise by the end of 1998.

"Perumka was originally expected to suffer losses of Rp 5.7 billion (US$2.42 million) in the January-June period of this year. But the company successfully made a profit of Rp 2 billion ($853,514) during that period."

He said that a number measures are now being prepared to improve the company as a profit-oriented firm. "The government and the World Bank have expressed their support."

Perumka, which broke even in 1994, made its first profit of Rp 10 billion (US$4.26 million) in 1995 after the company started operating a number of express trains. (17/icn)