Kolaborasi Perusahaan Swasta dan Negara pada Pembangunan Transportasi Kereta di Hindia Belanda

Abstract

The development of railway transportation in the Dutch East Indies was closely associated with colonial economic, administrative, and military interests. This study examines the development of railway transportation and the collaboration between private companies and the colonial state in constructing and managing railway networks in the Dutch East Indies. The study employs the historical method, consisting of four stages: heuristics, source criticism, interpretation, and historiography. The findings indicate that railway development initially relied heavily on private companies, particularly the Nederlandsch-Indische Spoorweg Maatschappij (NISM). However, financial difficulties, geographical challenges, and the colonial government's increasing need for strategic transportation encouraged greater state involvement through the establishment of Staatsspoorwegen (SS) in 1875. Private companies subsequently continued to play an important role, particularly in developing regional, plantation, industrial, and feeder lines, while SS focused increasingly on major intercity networks. During the Japanese occupation, railway management shifted toward military mobilization, causing significant deterioration of infrastructure. After independence, Indonesian railway workers played an important role in transferring railway management to the Republic and reorganizing it under national institutions. Thus, railway development demonstrates the changing relationship between private enterprise, state interests, and transportation infrastructure in Indonesia.