Railway repairs proceeding apace

Railway repairs proceeding apace

BANDUNG: State railway company Perumka is working around the
clock to repair the section of railway track in the
Gadongbangkong area near here, which was damaged by a landslide
last week.

The damage has halted the usually-busy rail traffic between
Jakarta and Bandung since Nov. 21. Passengers traveling between
Jakarta and Bandung by rail must make part of the journey by
road, as the trains can proceed no farther than Padalarang, near
Bandung.

Perumka spokesman Djoko Martojo said the company has deployed
200 people, including police and soldiers, to repair the tracks.
The repair teams have been given three weeks to complete the job.

Djoko said the work is taking longer than expected because the
condition of the soil is weak and the area of the landslide has
expanded.

The project is expected to cost Rp 400 million ($180,000). It
involves bringing in some 40,000 cubic meters of sand from Mt.
Galunggung. (emb)