A PIECE OF THE INDONESIAN RAILWAYS STORY

June 2007 in Kemijen, Semarang. one single track railway lengthwise from west easterly. Flanked marsh. Water rob suffuses this area. The morning some people angler sits to ballast, be awaiting bait is eaten by fish. In this place 143 years past, precisely June 17th 1864, Dutch East Indies Governor General L.A.J.W. Baron is Sloet Van Beele Broke sways a hoe to cleave ground apart. Forerunner, the morning the construction of first station and railway track in Dutch East Indies ( Indonesia) is started.
From kemijen, Dutch private enterprise Naamlooze Ve-nootschap Nederlandsch indische spoorweg Maatchappij ( NVNISM) which led by JP de Bordes spans railway track from countryside Tanggung (Grobogan) along the length of 26 Km. mobilizes hundreds of forced worker. Trees jungle of Jati that is close enough, starts from countryside Alastuwa ( Semarang) to countryside Tanggung must be chopped down is long with wide 10-15 meter, to unfold one railway single track with wide spoor ( gauge) 1.435 meter.
While hundreds of worker deforests from Alastuwa to Tanggung, hundreds of other forced worker keep eyes skinned in Jepara Harbour, main port in Central Java since a period of Demak kingdom. Bes Awaiting Steel with best quality delivered from Germany. Some steel rail bars is brought a number of workers, towards horse train which has stood by transports it to Kemijen. Around 60 road km, eats time all day long. One after another, rail bar is degraded. From Kemijen, rail bar is spanned to Alastuwa is aparting around 7 km, so reaching Tanggung ( 26 km).
the Dutch East Indies colonial Government intentionally chooses Semarang as development starting points railways in Indonesia. Non Jepara which in the early of century ke-18 is main port town and military town in Java. But only until the year 1708, defence of military in Jepara then is carried over to Semarang. At mid of 18th century, Semarang more and more writhes with growing of white colars of government Dutch East Indies, trade offices, and fortress region. Semarang also comes up as public administration town for Java upstate, commercial town, and military town. With three the faces, enters mid of 19th century, writhes Semarang to require supporting facilities for adequate transportation. Do not again enough with treading horse train takes the air stone built through via compulsory work (Rodi) during the Governor General Herman Willem Daendels (1808-1818). Based on recommendation from result of Stiejes’s research, supporting facilities for correct main transportation is railways.

to be continued...