Kewek railway bridge


Kewek railway bridge is an railway bridge that linked between Yogyakarta & Solo Balapan that located in Yogyakarta that crossing the Code River.

Etymology

The name "Kewek" actually comes from the Dutch, "Kerk Weg," which means "the road leading to the church". However, because the local people have difficulty pronouncing Dutch, it is called "Kewek."

History

The Kewek railway bridge's existence is closely tied to the development of the Kotabaru, Gondokusuman, Yogyakarta area in the 1920s. The Dutch government built a road crossing the Code River from Kotabaru to Malioboro in 1921, as the Gondolayu Bridge was the only access to Malioboro at the time, providing a longer route. In 1924, the Kewek railway bridge officially opened by the government.
Long before the Kewek railway bridge was built, there was a railway bridge built by the Staatsspoorwegen and the Nederlandsch-Indische Spoorweg Maatschappij in 1872, also known as the Kleringan Bridge. The road was constructed under the existing railway bridge with a viaduct structure, then turned west until it reached Malioboro. The viaduct was built to prevent the buildup of vehicles due to the railway crossing, considering that the Kotabaru area and its surroundings were already quite dense at that time.
After the Independence of Indonesia, the name of the road "Kerk Weg" was changed to Jalan Abu Bakar Ali, but the term "kewek" for this bridge still sticks with the community to present.
In the early 2000s, the Yogyakarta government created a new lane on the west side of the Kewek railway bridge to ease traffic congestion from Malioboro to Kotabaru. Traffic flow was then made two-way. Then in 2011, a new bridge was built on the north side, which also aimed to ease traffic congestion. Construction of the new bridge was completed in New Year 2012, and was inaugurated by Sultan Hamengkubuwono X on 3 January 2012, under the name "Amarta Bridge."

Technical data

The Kewek railway bridge has a girder construction, measuring 17.80 m long and 11.90 m wide. It divides three districts in Yogyakarta.
Measuring 72 meters in length, this bridge is part of the Kutoarjo railway station–Purwosari–Solo Balapan railway line, located between Yogyakarta and Lempuyangan.

Kewek railway bridge present

Currently, only the NIS bridge remains. The SS bridge was dismantled during the Japanese occupation of Indonesia, leaving only the pylons on the east side. The NIS bridge has undergone several renovations and maintenance projects, the last major work being carried out in 2011, when the double-tracking of the Yogyakarta–Solo Balapan line was completed.
The rail line that crosses the Kleringan bridge was also electrified in 2020, as a supporting facility KAI Commuter Yogyakarta Line that released in 2021.

Service

Here's train that crossing the Kewek railway bridge:

Executive class

Mixed class

Economy class

Freight

Commuter line