RAILWAYS of INDONESIA

The JakartaKota/Batavia Benedenstad station was officially opened on 8 October 1929. This twelve platform station, at that time hailed as the 'the largest and most beautiful station in Netherlands India', was designed by Asselberghs, Ghijsels, and Hes of the Algemeen Ingenieurs-en Architectenbureau (AIA). It replaced an older station of the Bataviasche Oosterspoorweg Maatschappij (BO.S), which is why even today it is still affectionatelly called 'Beos' ( bay-yoss ) by Jakartans.

Jomblang tram halt, Semarang The first Indonesian city to have an urban tram system was Batavia (now called Jakarta). On 20 April 1869 the first horse drawn tram started to run between Amsterdamsche Poort and Harmonie via Molenvliet. The carriages, operated by the Bataviasche Tramway-Maatschappij (BTM) on the unusual rail gauge of 1188 mm, were built in France by Bonnefond, Ivry. In 1869 the line was extended from Harmonie to Tanah Abang and to Meester Cornelis. Horse drawn tram, Batavia The use of horses as motive power proofed unsuitable in the hot tropical climate of Jakarta. In a given year more than 500 horses had to be replaced; therefore, it was urgently felt that a more reliable motive power had to be found. In 1881 the Nederlandsch-Indische Tramweg-Maatschappij (NITM) was established. NITM took over the lines formerly operated by BTM, and upgraded it into a steam tram system. A NITM steam tram The second city in Indonesia to have an urban tram system was Semarang , while...