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Traveling back in time in Ambarawa
A detour to a small town in Central Java is set to transport travelers to the bygone era of railway journeys.
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Visitors can experience short trips on carriages drawn by vintage locomotives housed at
the Ambarawa Railway Museum. (Shutterstock/Ronnie Chua)
W
hen traveling Semarang in Central Java, visitors should consider making a detour to Ambarawa, a town between Semarang and Salatiga. One of the town’s main attractions is the Railway Museum, where visitors can be transported back into time.
The Ambarawa Railway Museum has a complete collection of old steam locomotives from the colonial era, and its location is easily accessible. The building that now houses the museum was formerly a railway station.
Kompas.com reported that the museum had recently undergone a successful makeover. The entry fee per person is only Rp 10,000 (70 US cents). With this very affordable ticket, visitors can see rows of old locomotives in the former railway station that was built in 1873.
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The museum’s head, Joko Utomo, told kompas.com that there were 26 locomotives at the museum, with five being operational.
According to state-owned railway operator PT Kereta Api Indonesia’s (KAI) website, regular train rides on the Ambarawa-Tuntang route were offered every weekend and national holiday. Museum visitors may take the vintage diesel locomotive-drawn return trip at a cost of Rp 50,000 per person.
There are also carriages available for charter. Routes available are Ambarawa-Tuntang on a vintage diesel locomotive, Ambarawa-Tuntang on a steam locomotive and Ambarawa-Bedono also on a steam locomotive. Three trains are available for each of the first two options, and only two trains are available for the third route. The latter is also the most expensive at Rp 15,000,000 for two trains with a maximum capacity of 80 people. Two locomotives were made in Germany and they are used on steep terrain on the Ambarawa-Bedono route.
The regular train ride is a favorite attraction among museum visitors. It is best to come early to secure a ticket. Opening on 8 a.m. and tickets are usually sold out by 10 a.m. However, late arrivals can still purchase tickets and enjoy a train ride around the museum. (mut)
