I have received news from an Indonesian rail-fan again. My thanks go to Faris Fadhli, who kindly sent me the pictures.
To start, let me quickly review the railway in Indonesia. As you know, Indonesia is making a remarkable development as a major power in Asia. The railway is no exception. It's expected to ease traffic jams in the urban areas like Jakarta. Lots of secondhand trains have been imported from Japan for enhancing transportation capacity. They are mainly ex-Tokyu, ex-JR East and ex-Tokyo Metro trains.
So, let me get to the point. Protection nets on the front of Jakarta trains are being removed one after another. The protection net is made of metal, and protect drivers from stone throwing. When I lived in Indonesia in the 2000's, I saw that naughty local children were throwing stones at the trains. It was very dangerous, but now, such vandalism has vanished. The protection nets are no longer necessary. As a result, trains with "clear-cut faces" have been increasing.
The photo shows the EMU ex-Tokyo Metro 05 and 6000 series without protection nets on the fronts. The 05 series was once operated on the Tozai line; while the 6000 series was commissioned on the Chiyoda line in Tokyo. The former train (set 05102) was moved to Indonesia in 2010; while the latter one (set 6106) was transferred in 2011. I'm very happy that these trains have been returned to their original faces.
I look forward to their further success in Indonesia.
