Love is crazy. And a crazy love for trains has united a community called Edan Sepur.

Edan means crazy, derived from the Javanese language, while sepur comes from Dutch spoor meaning railway.

The community was established in Jatinegara, East Jakarta, in 2009 by a group of people who had taken to gathering to discuss trains and all things train-related at Jatinegara Railway Station.

Edan Sepur now has almost 500 members throughout the country and more than 10,000 fans on Facebook page, all of them train-mad.

“We love trains in our own ways. There are members who show their love for trains by taking pictures or videos, or simply loving trains as a mode of transportation,” one of the founders, Armiya Farhana, said on Sunday.

The members come from differing circles of society, including students, teachers, photographers and state and private employees, he said, adding that the community was open to all.

Armiya said that he had loved trains ever since he was in kindergarten and often asked his mother to travel on public transportation.

“I love trains because they have their own track and I can enjoy the beautiful scenery along the way, which you can’t do on buses or other forms of transportation,” he said, describing trains as the “kings of the road”.

“Trains go first, for safety reasons. When a train passes [a level crossing], no other form of transportation can move — they all have to wait. Even if you are a president, you have to stop when the train passes,” he said.

Since 2011, the community has regularly volunteered at Senen station in Central Jakarta during the annual exodus of Idul Fitri to offer assistance to homebound travelers.

Armiya said that he enjoyed the group’s volunteering activities.

“I’m so happy to see so many people at the station who will return to their hometowns. I love to help them in any way I can,” he said.

He had, he went on, volunteered for three years in a row and spent his Idul Fitri holiday at the station because his hometown, Bandung, West Java, is only a two-hour drive from Jakarta.

“I don’t mind, I can return to my hometown after Idul Fitri,” he said.

The community’s spokesman, Helmi Livianto Saman, said that this year, around 40 volunteers had assisted train passengers at Senen station from June 30 to July 7.

“It is the fifth year that Edan Sepur has volunteered at the station,” he said adding that the community members had also volunteered at Kiara Condong station in Bandung and Cirebon station in West Java.

He said that the volunteers offered help to passengers needing assistance, for example by directing them to their trains or seats.

“Sometimes, we also help old people to carry their belongings,” he said.

The community also volunteers during the Christmas and New Year holidays.

Apart from those activities, Edan Sepur also visits schools to promote trains as an alternative mode of transportation and to increase public awareness regarding train safety, as some people like to throw stones at trains. (sha)

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