RI's Railway Company Learns China's Train Operation System

Beijing, Oct 16 (ANTARA) - A state-owned railway company PT Kereta Api Indonesia delegation is learning China`s train operation system especially regarding passenger train and cargo train services, a company official has said. "The Indonesian railway company (PT KAI) delegation wish to learn about the passenger-service system, the ticketing system and how to decide ticket fares," PT KAI operational director A. Herlianto who led the delegatiom said here on Monday. During the visit, Herlianto met with the China`s railway ministry`s director general of the international cooperation affairs, Chen Juemin. According to Herlianto, PT KAI as the railway operator will develop a coal-carrying train service in Sumatra. In China, train constitutes the main mass transportation mode, which help carry around 1.8 billion people annually. Meanwhile, PT KAI has operated an electric commuter train specially for female and child passengers between Bogor and Jakarta. Chief of the Bogor railway station Eman Sulaiman said in Bogor recently the special train starts the commuting service from Bogor at 06.30 local time every day and it will be in operation until 18.36. "The special carriages are provided on growing demand from female passengers," Eman said. He said PT KAI has received many letters from women complaining about inconvenience in their short travel between Jakarta and its satellite cities including Bogor. He said they complained about petty crimes, pickpocketing, sexual abuses, hypnotism. "The train is new and has never been used before. They are used for commuter line carrying females and children only," he said. The train has a seat capacity for 84 passengers with 16 security officers two of them are women. The train will commute between Bogor and Jakarta in four trips every day with the first trip starting from Bogor at 06.30. In the first day of operation on Monday many men were not aware of the special service for female passengers tried to jump in to the train but security officers turned them back. Eman said the railway company already announced plan to operate a special train for female passengers before, but not every body took notice. "However, there is not significant problem. The first day operation has been smooth," he said.