Het Trein Station te Toentang

Toentang Train Station from the North Sides in 1910-1915 (Source: Leiden University Library)

Tuntang is a small cities, belong to the Kabupaten Semarang administration. A small city that I visited when I took for a rest from my trip from Semarang to Salatiga several months ago. Then here we are, I took some photos from Toentang Station that have been deactived for more than 20 years. Toentang Station built together with the project of connecting Semarang and Yogyakarta trhough the railway system in 1873. This project were accomplished by Nederlandsch Indische Spoorweg Maatschappij (NISM) and resulting the one of the unique track between Jamboe and Bedono, that is climbing track, only a few survived in the world nowadays, included this one. Talking about Toentang Station, the big restoration is already done in order to reactivate this station. The government want to extend the tourism of steam locomotive track into the north, reactivate again Ambarawa-Kedungjati lines, that once lies in the Semarang-Yogyakarta lines. So that the tourist could enjoying the beautiful sceneries of lake Rawa Pening, because the railroad is situated along the edge of the lake itself

Toentang Train Station rear terrace
as arrival and departure boards

Talking About this city ,Tuntang having an important role during the British Invasion of Java in 1811 as the part of Napoleonic War, in the beginning of 19th century. The Kingdom of Holland was annexed to the First French Empire in 1810, and Java became the part of French colony, though it continued to be administered and defended primarily by Dutch personnel. The Kingdom of Holland armies, together with French armies after the several months of battle, started in Batavia then retreated to Bogor until its defeated in Jatingaleh, Semarang. The remains were runs to the south and finally surrendered to the Britons. Through the treaty in this city named Toentang Capitulation on 1811, the Java Island were fall in Britons hand. It was become the beginning of the British rule of Indonesia, until the next four years until 1815.

Here in this station that now were no longer crowded by the passenger for waiting for the train coming by. I felt the power of interactions on that time between the people in countryside with those on the city. Once, the development of railroad network have its purpose to fulfilling the needs of the people about transportation, also as an efforts to the better economic growth. Along the area which passed by railroad network, the people used this “metal horses” as their daily transport.  Furthermore, in many small station or halte located, the people from the countryside often exploit it as their means to sold their product,  the traders came from the countryside offering their product, dominated by agricultural products, and those from the city are also came with their product, dominated by factory product like clothes, shoes, and so on. The station once  become the important place for the rural and urban people to interact.

Imagined about the condition, the crowd, the people aroud it, then maybe this postcard picture, taken from collectiontrade.nl could represented, hows it looks-like...