8610F of the EMU KRL Jabodetabek 8500 series stands at Universitas Indonesia Station, Jakarta
Photo: Courtesy Faris Fadhli
Photo: Courtesy Faris Fadhli
As I mentioned before, Jakarta is a paradise for Japanese rail fans.
More than 400 units of second-hand Japanese trains were operated. They
never have enough trains, since this giant Indonesian city has achieved
rapid development.
One such Japanese train is the EMU 8500 series, previously operated on the Tokyu Line in the Tokyo metropolitan area. This group was manufactured in the 1970s, and moved to Jakarta in the late 2000's. The specification is rather old, but it is very stout and trouble proof. It is quite popular among Indonesian passengers because of comfort cooling.
Look at the top photo. It was shot by an active young Indonesian rail fan, Mr. Faris Fadhli at Universitas Indonesia Station on the Jakarta-Bogor Route. The external shape of the 8500 series keeps the original, but the coloring is totally different from that in Japan (see the following picture).
I always admire Indonesian people's color sense, because they use distinct color designs. They created a blue, yellow and white colored face ... very cool. More amazingly, the first car, which is a "woman-only car", has very gaudy color on the side of the body.
I am also very happy, because the 8500 series still work well in operation in Jakarta, and were in good condition. I would like to thank the local railway engineers in Indonesia for their ceaseless effort.
I hope that these sister trains will be active both in Indonesia and Japan for long time.
One such Japanese train is the EMU 8500 series, previously operated on the Tokyu Line in the Tokyo metropolitan area. This group was manufactured in the 1970s, and moved to Jakarta in the late 2000's. The specification is rather old, but it is very stout and trouble proof. It is quite popular among Indonesian passengers because of comfort cooling.
Look at the top photo. It was shot by an active young Indonesian rail fan, Mr. Faris Fadhli at Universitas Indonesia Station on the Jakarta-Bogor Route. The external shape of the 8500 series keeps the original, but the coloring is totally different from that in Japan (see the following picture).
I always admire Indonesian people's color sense, because they use distinct color designs. They created a blue, yellow and white colored face ... very cool. More amazingly, the first car, which is a "woman-only car", has very gaudy color on the side of the body.
I am also very happy, because the 8500 series still work well in operation in Jakarta, and were in good condition. I would like to thank the local railway engineers in Indonesia for their ceaseless effort.
I hope that these sister trains will be active both in Indonesia and Japan for long time.
