Fallen tree disrupts greater Jakarta commuter train

A tree that fell during heavy rain on Monday disrupted commuter line operations between Kebayoran train station in South Jakarta and Pondok Ranji in South Tangerang, Banten.

The tree hit an electricity cable in an area located between the two stations at 3:40 p.m. The issue was solved at around 5 p.m.

State-owned commuter train operator PT Kereta Commuter Indonesia (KCI) has apologized for the inconvenience, which resulted in a number of delays from its initial schedules. The disrupted route connects Tanah Abang in Central Jakarta and Rangkas Bitung in Banten. 

KCI spokesperson Eva Chairunisa said that trains have continued to operate as normal. However, the disruption resulted in a long queue for passengers.

“Due to the long wait, we advised passengers to take another mode of transportation,” Eva said in a statement, adding that those who had already bought a ticket would be refunded at the nearest stations.

“Passengers using the train service are advised to mind their step when boarding and disembarking from the trains, and not to board a train that is already full,” she said.

Eva said that her office had communicated with related agencies to ensure that such an incident could be prevented in the future.  

On Sunday night, the same route was inundated by rainwater that reached up to 20 centimeters in height, causing delays to several train routes. (fac)