EVERYDAY IS JOGJA

Tugu Railway Station that started to function as a train-stop in 1887 turns to have tourism potential. You can enjoy the grand, old building architecture; observe locomotive details, old crane and exotic twilight.

It is likely no other railway station that is located as strategically as Tugu railway station. It lies in the center of Yogyakarta city, close to traditional and modern shopping centers; it only takes a little time to reach five-star and budget hotels and it is close to some tourism objects. One other thing that most people neglect is that this station turns to have tourism potential because of its characteristic building and more than a century of its age.

Tugu railway station started to serve transportation need since 2 May 1887, around 15 years after Lempuyangan station, another railway station in Yogyakarta that is located to the east of Tugu station. The construction of Tugu station was part of the efforts by the Dutch government by that time to distribute crops in Java, Sumatra, Kalimantan and Sulawesi. Passengers service from this station as one of the oldest railway stations in Indonesia began to function since 1 February 1905 and the first out-of-town line was to Surakarta that was built in 1899.

Starting as a small station, now Tugu station becomes one of the biggest railway stations in Indonesia. With 6 train lines, this railway station serves transportation from almost all big cities in Java. More than 20 train departures and arrivals - economy class, business and executive ones - occur everyday. There are various options for train types and time departures to go to a certain city.

Being built during the Dutch colonial time, the architecture of the building is so close to European nuance. Getting down from the train, you will directly notice it from the big doors in brown color and the high roof accentuated with robust walls painted in white. You can enjoy the original shape of the building from the front view. The building looks so great with big entrance and two high roofs sheltering two platforms on the north and south sides of the main building.

Unlike other big railway stations that function as a place for transit, Tugu railway station still preserves its function as a place of train maintenance. For the reason, you have an opportunity to wander about the corners of the station to see technician activities and to trace the oldness of this railway station. Some of the workers know well about the history of this station so that they can be good sources of information.

If you walk to the west part of the station, you will get to the place for locomotive maintenance. You will admire details of components in a locomotive. You can even observe the lower part of a locomotive since there is a ladder that enables you to reach the lower part of it. An old, black train monument can be another object to enjoy.

Walking a little bit to the south of the place, you will come to an area where compartments are maintained. You can see them from distant through the iron fence painted in blue-white colors. Looking above, you will see a train part that is located on top of a yellow tower. That part that has been utilized since the Dutch time is a crane that functions to connect train compartments. When you walk to the north, you will see workers cleaning the trains.

If you arrive in the afternoon, take your time to stand in between line 4 and 6 and look westwards. Beautiful scenery of the dusk will be seen on bright days, combined with railways that look like lines and finally end as a dot. The train crane and singing street musicians complete the exotic scenery of the dusk.

Then, you can start your tour in Yogyakarta after you are satisfied to enjoy the beauty of this railway station. You can travel by pedicab to go to Yogyakarta Sultan's Palace and to buy bakpia - special cake of Yogyakarta - in Pathuk. For farther travel, you can travel by public bus or taxi. If you want to go shopping directly, you just need to walk along the Malioboro Street that is located right to the south of the railway station.

ref: yogyes.com, skyscrapercity.com