''Argo Bromo Anggrek'' is the name of Executive and Compartment train jointly operated by

Kereta Api Indonesia PT Kereta Api Indonesia (Persero) (, abbreviated as PT KAI or simply KAI) is a major railway operator in Indonesia and one of the Public transportation, public railway companies in the country. It is State-owned enterprise, state-owned and pa ...

between

Surabaya Surabaya is the capital city of East Java Provinces of Indonesia, province and the List of Indonesian cities by population, second-largest city in Indonesia, after Jakarta. Located on the northeastern corner of Java island, on the Madura Strai ...

and

Jakarta Jakarta (; , Betawi language, Betawi: ''Jakartè''), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta (; ''DKI Jakarta'') and formerly known as Batavia, Dutch East Indies, Batavia until 1949, is the capital and largest city of Indonesia and ...

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...

. The train covers in 7 hours and 45 minutes along

Java Java is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea (a part of Pacific Ocean) to the north. With a population of 156.9 million people (including Madura) in mid 2024, proje ...

's north coast, stopping at Semarang Tawang and

Cirebon Cirebon (, formerly rendered Cheribon or Chirebon in English) is a port city on the northern coast of the Indonesian island of Java. It is the only coastal city of West Java, located about 40 km west of the provincial border with Central J ...

. It is one of the best known trains in Indonesia.

Etymology

The name ''Argo Bromo'' was derived from the volcano Bromo in

East Java East Java (, , ) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia located in the easternmost third of Java island. It has a land border only with the province of Central Java to the west; the Java Sea and the Indian Ocean border its northern ...

. The term ''anggrek'' () was added to differentiate the train from its predecessor. The orchid is represented in the purple-white livery of the train.

Service

Its predecessor, the ''JS950 Argo Bromo'', made the Jakarta–Surabaya run in about nine hours and was inaugurated on 31 July 1995 by the

President of Indonesia The president of the Republic of Indonesia () is the head of state and head of government of the Republic of Indonesia. The president is the leader of the executive branch of the Indonesian government and the commander-in-chief of the ...

Suharto Suharto (8 June 1921 – 27 January 2008) was an Indonesian Officer (armed forces), military officer and politician, and dictator, who was the second and longest serving president of Indonesia, serving from 1967 to 1998. His 32 years rule, cha ...

, ahead of the 50th anniversary of Indonesian Independence in 17 August (hence the ''JS950'', for "Jakarta–Surabaya in nine hours, launched to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Indonesia's independence"). The success of the service led to the introduction of ''Argo Bromo Anggrek'' service which commenced on 24 September 1997. The difference between ''Argo Bromo Anggrek'' and the original ''JS950 Argobromo'' train service is the usage of a set of more sophisticated passenger coach with bolsterless bogies, which are made locally by Indonesian Railway Industry (INKA). Although initially hailed as technological innovation of its day, even nicknamed as " 747 on rail" by Tourism Minister Joop Ave, they were later downgraded in later years by having the disc brakes replaced with conventional brake shoes, and automatic doors replaced by manual ones due to poor maintenance, especially during and after the

1997 Asian Financial Crisis The 1997 Asian financial crisis gripped much of East Asia, East and Southeast Asia during the late 1990s. The crisis began in Thailand in July 1997 before spreading to several other countries with a ripple effect, raising fears of a worldwide eco ...

and a derailment at Manggarai station in 2010. In 2021 schedule, From Gambir station (

), this train departs at 08.00 and 20.30, and arrives at (

) at 16.42 and 05.12. From Pasar Turi, this train departs at 09.00 and 20.35, arrives at Gambir at 17.44 and 05.19. ''Argo Bromo Anggrek'' trains are composed of eight executive class, and one Luxury class passenger coaches, pulled by GE CM20EMP (previously GE U20C) locomotives. At the time of its first inauguration, the train used a set of special coaches with "K9" bolsterless

bogie A bogie ( ) (or truck in North American English) comprises two or more Wheelset (rail transport), wheelsets (two Railroad wheel, wheels on an axle), in a frame, attached under a vehicle by a pivot. Bogies take various forms in various modes ...

s. Since December 2010, coaches from the '' Sembrani'' and other standard executive class trains (K1) substitute the K9 coaches, which in that stage underwent refurbishment and renovation at INKA, Madiun,

. Since 2019, ''Argo Bromo Anggrek'' uses stainless-steel coaches produced by INKA which has a standardized design as other executive class coaches built in the same period in Indonesia. Since 29 March 2024, ''Argo Bromo Anggrek'' has officially used the "New Generation" executive train which has a 2023/2024 stainless steel body made by PT INKA, with a generator car and restoration car. Starting February 1, 2025, Argo Bromo Anggrek train is no longer stops on Bojonegoro Station and Pekalongan Station, so that shorten its distance time on 7 hours 45 minutes. On June 1, 2025, Argo Bromo Anggrek train will equipped with Compartment Suites, which is also used on Bima train and Argo Semeru train.

Facilities

''Argo Bromo Anggrek'' provides entertainment facilities during the journey in the form of audio-video (''Show On Rail''). Passengers can also order food and drinks, which can be consumed in either the passenger's coaches or in a dedicated restaurant coach equipped with karaoke facilities. All of this is deliberately designed to give the atmosphere of a hotel.

Timetable

''Argo Bromo Anggrek'' schedule as of 1 February 2025, times are in GMT+7:

Incidents

*2005: a dining car caught fire. *2009: a power car caught fire at Cikampek. The train continued on to without the power car. * 2 October 2010: at 3:00 am the ''Argo Bromo Anggrek'' collided with the '' Fajar Utama Semarang'' at Petarukan station. Thirty-three people were killed and 26 injured, and coaches six and nine destroyed. *16 December 2010: four students were hit in Dengok, Padangan,

Bojonegoro Bojonegoro Regency (, older spelling is ''Kabupaten Bodjanegara'', ) is a Regency (Indonesia), regency in East Java Province of Indonesia, about 110 km west of Surabaya and 73 km northeast of Ngawi (town), Ngawi. It covers a land are ...

, East Java. Three were killed. *16 November 2012: the train derailed near Bulakamba station. *9 March 2015: the train, pulled by locomotive 13 68, collided with a truck in Weleri,

Kendal Kendal, once Kirkby in Kendal or Kirkby Kendal, is a market town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Westmorland and Furness, England. It lies within the River Kent's dale, from which its name is derived, just outside the boundary of t ...

Central Java Central Java (, ) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia, located in the middle of the island of Java. Its administrative capital is Semarang. It is bordered by West Java in the west, the Indian Ocean and the Special Region of Yogya ...

. The driver died after the accident. *30 April 2021: the train hit 2 people at an unguarded illegal crossing in Penaburan Village, Weleri

References

External links

* {{Portal, Trains, Jakarta, Indonesia Passenger rail transport in Indonesia Railway services introduced in 1997 1997 establishments in Indonesia