Jakarta (16/03) - On Thursday (03/16) morning, the Directorate General of Railways (DJKA) of the Ministry of Transportation, together with PT Kereta Api Indonesia (PT. KAI), successfully conducted a limited operational trial of the railway line in the section between Bogor Paledang Station and Maseng Station, which was previously affected by landslides. The trial involved running trains at a speed of 10 km/hour to test the safety and stability of the railway track after reinforcement work was carried out on the land wall at the landslide site.

Director General of Railways, Risal Wasal, stated that the limited operational trial was conducted on a temporary route that utilized the downstream track that was not directly affected by the landslide."Yesterday we strengthened the soil wall next to the track with rail rods and steel H-beams to withstand the landslide-prone soil, so this morning it can be passed even though we need to limit the speed," Risal explained.

Risal further explained that the operational trial of the railway line was carried out after the ground movement had been reduced and deemed safe. "This speed restriction needs to be implemented to avoid triggering further ground movement, even though we have strengthened the walls. This is to ensure the safety of the evacuation process," Risal continued.

Following the successful operational trial, the Pangrango train service from Bogor Paledang to Sukabumi can now be opened to the public. However, DJKA is still continuing the rehabilitation process of the railway line that was directly affected by the landslide. This includes cutting the hanging rails and installing safety fences around the landslide site to ensure the safety of passengers and prevent further accidents.

Furthermore, DJKA also conducts rehabilitation by widening the safety zone area and placing a warning sign in the form of a board that reads "Dangerous Area, Unauthorized Personnel Prohibited". "During the evacuation of the hanging rails, we temporarily close the affected area, particularly the hanging rails, with tarpaulins to prevent any unwanted incidents," added Risal.

As for the removal of the hanging rails, Risal explained that it was carried out by removing the pads in an effort to prevent them from falling directly to the ground and triggering subsequent landslides. Furthermore, the rail rods from the direction of Batutulis Station were removed at the joints, while those from the direction of Bogor Paledang Station were cut at a distance of 10 to 12 meters from the affected area to ensure the safety of the evacuation process.

"After the sleepers and rails were completely removed, we covered the landslide with tarpaulins, to prevent rainwater from aggravating the soil condition," said Risal. Heavy equipment in the form of excavators were also brought in by DJKA to help clear the evacuation routes with assistance and supervision from the Bogor National Disaster Management Agency (BNPD), Indonesian National Army (TNI), and Indonesian National Police (POLRI) to facilitate the evacuation of victims.

"We will strive to ensure that the security of the route can be carried out properly so as not to sacrifice the safety of train travel and the safety of local residents and prevent further landslides," Risal concluded. (HJA/DA)