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)