Construction Of The Train Doubles Line Between Haurpugur Station-Cicalengka Station Must Be Completed

The Haurpugur-Cicalengka route can be passed by trains at limited speed (doc. KAI).

JAKARTA - The Indonesian Transportation Society (MTI) assesses that the construction of a double track at Km 181 + 700 plots of roads between Haurpugur Station-Cicalengka Station, West Java, must be completed. The reason is, until now the railway line on the track is still single or single track.

The Km 181+700 road plot between Haurpugur Station-Cicalengka Station, West Java, is the location of the Turangga train collision and the Greater Bandung Commuter Line on Friday, January 5, 2024.

Deputy Chairperson of the Central MTI Regional Empowerment and Development, Djoko Setijowarno, said the construction of a double track was being carried out by the West Java Railways Agency of the Directorate General of Railways at the Ministry of Transportation. The construction of the double line is targeted to be completed in 2024.

The double rail project stretches for 23 kilometers (km) and is divided into two stages. Phase I extends from Gedebage-Cimekar-Rancaek-Hourpugur to 14 km and stage II to 9 km which is divided into two routes, namely from Kiaracondong-Gedebage and Haurpugur-Cicalengka.

According to Djoko, the construction of this double line needs to be completed. The reason is, the route on the Haurpugur-Cicalengka route is relatively crowded. In daily life, 60 Commuter Line and 22 long-distance trains are crossed.

In fact, continued Djoko, during the Christmas 2023 and New Year 2024, there were four additional long-distance train trips so that a total of 26 long-distance trains passed every day.

"The work on this project was carried out during the multi-year year. Unfortunately, not after this project was realized, the Haurpugur-Cicalengka route had claimed victims due to inter-KA collisions," he said in an official statement, Sunday, January 7, 2024.

Djoko further revealed that compliance with train travel safety rules and procedures is a more important and decisive factor to avoid fatal accidents.

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Djoko said the signaling system at Cicalengka Station also needs to be fixed. The reason is, the signaling system at Cicalengka Station and Haurpugur Station is apparently different.

The signal at Cicalengka Station still uses a mechanical block signal, while the signal at Haurpugur Station is an electric signal.

"The difference in the signaling model will distinguish the way it operates. Therefore, KA travel regulators (PPKA) will arrange train trips at these two stations must have the skills to operate this different signaling," he said.

On the single rail line, he continued, the signal indicated that trains may or may not pass after it was confirmed that the plots of roads that would be crossed by the train were deemed safe.

You see, single lanes will be used alternately for train trips from two different directions.

"Therefore, PPKA must ensure that there are no other trains in the plots of the road before giving a safe signal for trains that will pass," he explained.