Train traffic returns to normal at Palmerah

JAKARTA (JP): Train traffic to and from Palmerah railway station, Central Jakarta, is back to normal after all the tracks were cleared and repaired yesterday.

The derailed locomotive was lifted and taken to the Jatinegara depot last night before being transported to the Balai Yasa train workshop in Yogyakarta for major repairs.

The new business class train, which had been in trial for only three days, derailed as it entered the Palmerah station at 1:34 p.m. Monday.

The train, with seven carriages, left Merak about 11 a.m. on Monday for downtown Kota in West Jakarta.

A food vendor who was riding a bicycle was hit by a flying railway sleeper.

The driver, his assistant and 50 passengers escaped unhurt. The driver Siswanto and his assistant, Sutardjo are being questioned by police for alleged negligence.

Transportation Minister Haryanto Dhanutirto, who was scheduled to launch the new train, said human error caused the accident.

Yan Mulyana, the head of the Palmerah railway station, was not available for comment yesterday.

State railway company Perumka's public relations officer was not available for comment.

One station official said the final clean-up operation started at 9 p.m. last night. "We expect it to be finished early this morning".

The official, who was involved in the rescue operation, said all trains plying Jakarta-Merak, Jakarta-Rangkasbitung, Jakarta- Parung Panjang and Jakarta-Serpong, which pass through Palmerah station, returned to service yesterday morning.

There are 48 passenger and goods trains which stop at Palmerah station everyday.

The official refused to estimate the total loss or the cost of repairing the train. "It will be calculated later," he said. (kod)