Tawang Alun

Tawang Alun is a train that serves the Ketapang– route and is one of two trains that cross the line. The other train is the Ijen Express.
The name of this train comes from Prabu Tawang Alun who was one of the kings of the Blambangan Kingdom which was the forerunner of Banyuwangi.

History and operation

This train was present as a replacement for Rengganis which had operated in the 1990s with the Ketapang– route. It was simplified and finally the train stopped operating in 2002 and was replaced by the Tawang Alun Train in the same year.
The train consists of five economy class carriages and one powered dining carriage.

Route

Note: All stations below are in East Java Province.

Incident

On 14 July 2006, Tawang Alun train derailed in Klatak, Jember. The rotten rail bearings caused all the carriages to come off the rails, resulting in three passengers being injured. The surviving passengers were taken to the nearest station to depart again on another train.
On 20 August 2011, the Tawang Alun train derailed in Gerongan, Pasuruan after hitting a truck loaded with logs. The locomotive was damaged and the first train set derailed so it could not continue its journey. Luckily, the truck driver only suffered minor injuries to his forehead.