“On the other hand, the city became dirty and unsanitary because of horse dung along the tram lines.”
In response, the Dutch government changed it into a steam-powered trams around the late 1880s. “The locomotives were imported from Germany, while the carriages from Belgium and the Netherlands. The drivetrain was a steam boiler filled with high-voltage steam at each steam depot,” explained Lisa.
However, problems started to emerge again. The most common one being the tram breaking down during the rainy season due to cold weather. Then came the proposal to use electric tram rails in the late 1920s. Therefore, starting in 1930, the Dutch government began to electrify the trams in Batavia.
“The electrification of the steam tram rails lasted for 2-3 years, at least until 1934 when all the problems with the area were resolved. So, what we are seeing here is electric tram rails,” said Lisa.