Legendary Lokomotive Mak Itam Was Reactivated On The Sawahlunto-Muarakalaban Cross

Photo via Antara

PT KAI Divre West Sumatra provides full support for the development of tourism potential in the regions by reactivating the legendary Mak Itam locomotive across Sawahlunto-Muarakalaban.

"This is a form of PT KAI's contribution in encouraging the economy and tourism in Sawahlunto City and its surroundings," said Vice President of PT Kereta Api Indonesia Regional Division (Divre) II West Sumatra Mohamad Arie Fathurrochman in Padang, Thursday, December 8.

In addition to the E1060 steam locomotive (Mak Itam), PT KAI Divre II West Sumatra also brought in a diesel locomotive BB 3037804 from Padang as an assistant facility if Mak Itam's locomotive was disrupted or was undergoing maintenance.

Meanwhile, the train used is the I20301 train which is a classic train with wooden walls, which adds to the heritage nuances in the tourist train.

Arie said that the activation of the tourist route was not only a single contribution from PT KAI but was a collaboration between three SOEs, namely PT Bio Farma (Persero), PT Pupuk Indonesia (Persero), and PT Semen Indonesia Group (Persero) Tbk (SIG).

He hopes that the activation of the legendary locomotive and train can support tourism in Sawahlunto, whose coal mine is known as UNESCO's world heritage.

"It is hoped that later with the operation of the Mak Itam tourist train, it can encourage the economic growth of Sawahlunto City and provide benefits to the people of Sawahlunto in particular, and West Sumatra in general," he said.

Lokomotif E1060 is one of the legendary locomotives in Ranah Minang. Its blackish color made him known to the Minangkabau community as Mak Itam.

The automotive was taken to the Ambarawa Railway Museum, but on December 17, 2005, the local government and a group of train lovers submitted a proposal to PT KAI to return the loko to Ranah Minang.

The proposal was received and on December 3, 2007, and the legendary locomotive returned to Sawahlunto as a tourist train. On February 21, 2009, the locomotive was operated alongside the Lake Singkarak tourist train.

However, for a number of reasons, one of which is the difficulty of onboarding when damaged, the locomotive has not been operated for a long time. In 2022, Mak Itam's locomotive will again try the rails in Minang's realm.