SLEMAN - The government currently is intensively conducting an infrastructure development throughout Indonesia, one of which is the construction of  Notog Tunnel Project BH 1440. The building of this double track railway located in the village of Notog Patikraja District, Banyumas regency, Central Java is involving various parties such as SOEs and college.

UPN "Veteran" Yogyakarta (UPNVY) contributed to the construction of the first double track tunnel project in Indonesia and the longest project in Indonesia along the 471 meters.

This is revealed by the Coordinating Minister for the Ministry of Marine Affairs, General (Ret.) Luhut Binsar Panjaitan when giving a Public Lecture with the theme of the Development of the Industrial and Maritime Services of Indonesia to Realize the Vision of World Maritime Axis in Auditorium UPN "Veteran" Yogyakarta (UPNVY), Condong Catur Campus, Friday (9/2/2018).

"UPN joined as a vendor, but I do not know precisely what work it does, the important thing it obviously come," said Luhut in front of 2000 students and lecturers UPNVY.

A lecturer of the Faculty of Mineral Technology who is also an expert in the field of rock mechanics. Ir. Singgih Saptono, MT, said that UPNVY has been involved in the construction of the Notog Railway Double Track tunnel project since early 2017, the Cisandawu Road tunnel has been done since mid-2017 and the Jakart Bandung fast Train Tunnel project since November 2017.

Singgih who is the Vice Rector for Student Affairs and Cooperation said that in this development he involved a research team from UPNVY consisting of undergraduate and masters degree Mining Engineering students.

"The Mining Engineering students, both for S1 and S2, have geomechanics courses. So, they can be involved in this research, "said Singgih at UPNVY Rectorate, Tuesday (12/2/2018).

Tunnel development method used a New Austrian Tunnel Method (NATM) method. This method is applied to the medium hard rock of Notog and the rock is very weak in Cisumdawu.

"Notog tunnel is the first railway tunnel made by the Indonesian youngths in full mechanic. While Cisumdawu is the result of tranfering knowledge and technology from China to Indonesia, "he said.

The Notog tunnel is one of the railway transportation routes connecting Cilacap and Purwokerto.

The old Notog BH 1440 tunnel was built in 1914-1915 by the Dutch East India Railway company, Staats Spoorwegen (SS). The Notog Tunnel is a single curved track tunnel, which twisted  260 meter long  through Gamping hill at Notog village, Patikraja district.

While the new Notog tunnel that is currently built is on the south side of the old tunnel which is about 200 meters.

It is planned that a tunnel that has a diameter of 9.3 meters will be completed by December 2018. (wwj / humas)