Restoring Ambarawa's North Line (Part 1)

Click here for the main unofficial Ambarawa Railway Museum Home Page. Photographs on this page are courtesy of Nick Bryant, except Rob Dickinson's 1975 image and the 1999 image which is from John Tillman.

Click here for Restoring the North Line (Part 2 - Out in the country)

The railway north from Ambarawa along the lake (Rawa Pening) as far as Tuntang has been restored. This was originally laid to standard gauge (4ft 8½in) as opposed to the current cape gauge (3ft 6in, 1067mm).  The trackbed was more or less unobstructed and in July 2001, the provincial Government of Central Java allocated funds for this purpose. In November 2001, a private contractor started work on the contract. Firstly, the trackbed had to be secured because it had been partly built over in the 25 years since the last trains ran here. Some earthworks needed replacing and only lightweight trolleys provided a service after the official re-opening in March 2002, but as from late 2010, full weight trains are able to run on it. D300.23 provides the basic service although one of the B25 may be chartered instead on the same basis as for the line south.

But first, what is the attraction of this work? Well, I guess this picture of B2503 and train taken on 11th August 1975 says it all:

The first picture (all four taken on 23rd November 2001) shows the exit from Ambarawa station across Jalan Permuda.

This picture shows some of the problems caused by encroachment over the years.

This is Jalan Kartini about 2km out from the station - the line is under their somewhere! (December 1991)

Click here for the main unofficial Ambarawa Railway Museum Home Page

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