Merak railway station

Merak Station (MER) is a class II railway station located in Tamansari, Pulomerak, Cilegon, Banten. The station is located at an altitude of +3 meters and is the westernmost active railway station in Operation Area I Jakarta, as well as in Java. The station is located inside Port of Merak complex. Since 2017, the station only serves Merak Local trains to Rangkasbitung.

LM11
Merak Station
Stasiun Merak
Front building of Merak Station in 2022
General information
LocationPort of Merak complex, Pulomerak, Cilegon, Banten 42438, Indonesia
Coordinates5.930185°S 105.996779°E / -5.930185; 105.996779
Elevation+3m
Owned byKereta Api Indonesia
Managed byKereta Api Indonesia
KAI Commuter
Line(s)
PlatformsThree side platforms
Tracks3
Construction
Bicycle facilities Bicycle parking
Accessible Yes
Other information
Station codeMER • 0101[1]
ClassificationClass II[1]
History
Opened1 December 1914
Original companyStaatsspoorwegen
Services
Preceding station Following station
Krenceng
towards Rangkasbitung
 Merak Local Terminus

History

The construction of the railway line from Rangkasbitung was continued by Staatsspoorwegen to Serang area on 1 July 1900,[2] which was then extended to Anyer Kidul Harbor on 1 December 1900. A branch line to Merak was opened on 1 December 1914 to accommodate the Port of Merak, which is closer for crossing to Lampung than Anyer Kidul.[3] Merak Station is one of the three westernmost terminus stations on Java Island besides Anyer Kidul and Labuan.

The current station building was constructed in the 1990s, with the original Staatsspoorwegen-built building were demolished at the same time to make way for the construction of ferry crossing terminal. The office of ASDP Merak seaport now stands at the site of the old station. The station also had a branch line to Indah Kiat Port for paper pulp trains, with the line inactive since the 1990s.

Merak Station used to serve long-distance passenger trains and local trains such as Krakatau intercity and Kalimaya express local trains. Kalimaya was discontinued on 1 April 2017 as it was replaced by the Rangkasbitung Commuter Line service,[4] while Krakatau was discontinued on 17 July 2017.[5]

Building and layout

The station has three active lines. Line 1 is used as shunting line for locomotives, with line 2 used for loading and unloading of passengers and line 3 was used for passenger cars storage or stabling in the past. While still active, currently line 3 is mostly unused. There is also the inactive line 4, with its connection to the main line severed and mostly buried with asphalt. There is an abandoned hopper wagon in former line 4.

(From left to right) Line 1 and 2; Gated and unused line 3; severed line 4 with derelict hopper wagon

Merak Station is located inside Port of Merak, which is owned by ASDP Indonesia Ferry. In order to board the ferry service, visitors have to pay the seaport entrance fee of 2,500 rupiah.

Representative from Kereta Api Indonesia's Operation Area I Jakarta has said that the Merak Station would be relocated to a new location in the future.[6]

Services

Passenger services

Defunct services

  • Kalimaya express local (Merak–Tanah Abang)
  • Patas Merak rapid local (Merak–Tanah Abang)
    (Now called Lokal Merak with shortened route from Merak to Rangkasbitung)
  • Krakatau intercity (Merak–Kediri via Tanah Abang)

Incidents
  • 28 September 1980, the BB303 15 locomotive crashed into a buffer stop and almost fell into the sea because it was traveling at too high a speed when it wanted to rotate the locomotive's position on the turntable. At that time the location of Merak Station was still in the coastal area.[7]
  • The Merak Station in 1921
    The Merak Station in 1921
  • A railroad switch at the end of the Merak Station emplacement which is used for locomotive shunting
    A railroad switch at the end of the Merak Station emplacement which is used for locomotive shunting
  • The remaining of line 4 which has been disconnected with the main line
    The remaining of line 4 which has been disconnected with the main line

References
  1. Buku Informasi Direktorat Jenderal Perkeretaapian 2014 (PDF) (in Indonesian). Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 January 2020.
  2. Staatsspoorwegen (1921–1932). Verslag der Staatsspoor-en-Tramwegen in Nederlandsch-Indië 1921-1932. Batavia: Burgerlijke Openbare Werken.
  3. "ZWP - Haltestempels Ned.Indië". studiegroep-zwp.nl. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
  4. Abdullah, Fariz (19 March 2017). "Empat Perjalanan KA Lokal Rangkasbitung – Tanah Abang Dihapus 1 April 2017". bantenhits. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  5. Fahmi, M Iqbal (2 July 2017). Rastika, Icha (ed.). "KA Krakatau Berubah Jadi KA Singasari, Berikut Jadwal dan Rute Barunya". Kompas.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 10 October 2019.
  6. Bramasta, Dandy Bayu (4 February 2023). Hardiyanto, Sari (ed.). "Ramai Kabar soal Stasiun Merak Akan Nonaktif, Ini Penjelasan KAI Halaman all". KOMPAS.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 21 March 2023.
  7. "BB303 15 Merak 28.09.80 ***". Flickr. Retrieved 13 May 2023.

Media related to Merak Station at Wikimedia Commons

Preceding station   Kereta Api Indonesia   Following station
Terminus   Merak–Tanah Abang   Krenceng
towards Tanah Abang
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