The oldest railroad in West Sumatra is "resurrected" from the "grave"

id kerata api,mak itam,sumatera barat,padang,dibangkitkan,PT KAI

The oldest railroad in West Sumatra is "resurrected" from the "grave"

The railway in W Sumatra will be activated again. In 2019 it is targeted the Pulau Aia-Simpang Haru route that not active since 1983, can be used again . (ANTARA SUMBAR / Miko Elfisha)

Padang (ANTARA) - The oldest railway line in W Sumatra starting from Pulau Air Station to Simpang Haru Station, Padang, which has been not active since 1983, was "resurrected" from "his grave" in 2019.

The railroad cleaning activity from Pulau Air Station to the 2.5-kilometer Simpang Haru Station has been started since mid-June 2019 and is targeted for completion later this year.

"Now the railroad pads have also been stacked at several points along the path," said Wira (41), a resident of Pondok, Padang, on Wednesday.

As many as 238 buildings along the railroad track each of the 151 buildings contracted with PT KAI and 87 buildings without contracts had to be demolished so that the pathway could be implemented.

The railway line is part of the oldest in W Sumatra. Built in the Dutch colonial era and inaugurated on July 6, 1887 as access to warehouses in the region.

The railway line was forwarded to Bukittinggi for 90 kilometers and was operated from November 1891 to transport forced-grown coffee beans from inland of W Sumatra such as Bukittinggi, Payakumbuh and Pasaman to Padang for export to Europe.

But the reactivation of the line is not related to coffee commodities. The main objective at this time, according to the Head of the Class II Railway Engineering Office in W Sumatra, Catur Wicaksono, who has now moved to Jakarta is an alternative transportation for the community.

In addition, for the sake of tourism because in the future the route will continue to Muaro Padang.

The reactivation program of the railway line in West Sumatra has been included in the Ministry of Transportation's strategic plan 2020-2024. (*)

Editor: Mutiara Ramadhani

Translated by: Internship student of ANTARA 2019