Mutiara Utara train (North Pearl train)
Mutiara (Pearl) is a passenger train service owned by the State Railway Company (PNKA) that once served the Surabaya–Jakarta route via Semarang. The train was launched on 26 September 1971. Initially, it featured a Class I train service, featuring only the first-class carriages and a dining car. In an advertisement published in Berita Buana (Buana News) on 25 September 1971, PNKA offered air conditioning and audio entertainment, reclining seats, and breakfast, dinner, and snacks. [2]
Later, the name of this train was changed to "Mutiara Utara" (in English is 'North Pearl") due to the emergence of the Mutiara Selatan train. In the mid-1980s, Mutiara Utara was changed to class I and II. On 9 June 1990, the State Railway Company (PJKA) inaugurated the executive class train (at that time a class above the existing class I), added to the Bima Train and Mutiara Utara. Anwar Suprijadi, who was then the Operational Director of PJKA, targeted a revenue of Rp6 billion from executive class ticket sales.
On 11 March 1992, Perumka changed the format of the executive train class, to Executive-A and Executive-B, which was later simplified to simply "Executive." Mutiara Utara was briefly removed when Perumka launched the Suryajaya Train in 1994. However, Mutiara Utara was reinstated by Perumka. The Mutiara Utara service didn't last long, ending in October 1995 and was replaced by Sembrani with the Satwa (animal) Executive class.
Sembrani train
The Sembrani train was first operated on 16 October 1995, by the Perumka Public Railway Company (Perumka) as an upgrade and development of the previously operating Mutiara Utara train service. At the beginning of its operation, the Head of the Commercial Section of Perumka Operational Area VIII Surabaya targeted a daily passenger capacity of 4,000. [3]
In the 2000s, this train had a bad reputation among the public due to the uncomfortable passenger seats on some trains manufactured in the 1950s and 1960s. To improve this train's image, one train set underwent a refurbishment at the Manggarai Railway Center, which began operating in 2010 under the name "Sembrani New Image." [4] As of 2016, the Sembrani train operates using a series of executive trains made by PT INKA, released in 2016.
As of mid-November 2019 before the implementation of the train travel chart (Gapeka 2019) effect on 1 December 2019, the Sembrani train (along with the Gumarang train) was taken over operational ownership to Operational Area VIII Surabaya from Operational Area I Jakarta along with the train set was transferred to the Surabaya Pasarturi Train Depot (SBI), which was caused by 2 new trains that would arrive at Gapeka 2019, namely Dharmawangsa train (PSE-SBI) and Anjasmoro train (PSE-JG) as well as the extension of three train services from Operation Area II Bandung namely Argo Wilis (GMR-BD-SGU), Mutiara Selatan (South Pearl) train (GMR-BD-ML) and Malabar (ML-BD-PSE) as of 1 December 2019. Since 1 December 2019, Sembrani train have added a 26-seat Luxury class train service which was previously used by Taksaka.
Sembrani train began serving passengers at Ngrombo stasiun on 20 January 2020. [5] On 28 September 2022, The speed of the Sembrani train (except for the Additional Sembrani) was upgraded to 120 km/hour (75 mph) from the original 105-110 km/h (65-68 mph). [6] Sembrani trains will add stops at Cikarang Station starting 1 February 2022, and during the 2023 Eid al-Fitr holiday period, the speed will also be increased to 120 km/h (75 mph).
On 1 June 2023, following the enactment of new train travel chart 2023, The Sembrani train will add a morning service with train numbers 61-62, the successor to the "Sembrani Additional Train" that departs on a morning schedule from Surabaya Pasarturi and Gambir. This train is a "trial run" of morning passenger train service during the Eid al-Fitr 1444 H homecoming and return journeys. [7] In connection with the change of the Argo Bromo Anggrek train series to a new generation executive, starting 29 March 2024, the Sembrani train will use legacy train sets from the first generation stainless steel train. [8]
On 1 June 2025, the Sembrani train (for 40 and 41) will serve the Luxury Sleeper class (a legacy of the Argo Bromo Anggrek) which will also replace the role of the Luxury class Generation 2 as the Impact of the Argo Bromo Anggrek with the Compartment Suite.
