People taking pictures with the first car of the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed train in Tegalluar station in Bandung, West Java, on Sept 17. PHOTO: AFP
JAKARTA, INDONESIA — Indonesia is set to launch Southeast Asia’s inaugural high-speed railway, a project developed under China’s Belt and Road infrastructure initiative. This railway will significantly reduce travel time between the capital and another major city, reducing it from three hours to just around 40 minutes.
The project has encountered numerous delays and rising costs, leading some experts to question its commercial viability. Nevertheless, President Joko Widodo has championed the project and is scheduled to inaugurate the 142.3-kilometer railway as it commences commercial operations on Monday.
The high-speed train, named “Whoosh,” is of Chinese origin and will connect Jakarta with Bandung, the densely populated capital of West Java province. President Widodo and other high-ranking officials are expected to take the inaugural ride from the first station, Halim KCBJ in eastern Jakarta, to Bandung’s Tegalluar station, marking the end of the line.
This $7.3 billion project, predominantly financed by China, was constructed by PT Kereta Cepat Indonesia-China (PT KCIC), a joint venture between an Indonesian consortium of four state-owned companies and China Railway International Co. Ltd. PT KCIC claims these trains will be the fastest in Southeast Asia, with speeds of up to 350 kph.
Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, the coordinating minister for maritime and investment, revealed that China Railway has agreed to transfer its technology to Indonesia, potentially enabling the country to manufacture high-speed trains domestically in the future.
The railway project experienced groundbreaking in 2016 and was originally scheduled to commence operations in 2019. However, disputes over land acquisition, environmental concerns, and the COVID-19 pandemic led to delays. The initial projected cost of 66.7 trillion rupiah ($4.3 billion) escalated to 113 trillion rupiah ($7.3 billion).
These trains have been adapted for Indonesia’s tropical climate and are equipped with a safety system capable of responding to earthquakes, floods, and other emergencies. Each 209-meter train can accommodate 601 passengers.
As of Saturday, ticket prices had not been finalized, but PT KCIC estimated one-way fares would range from 250,000 rupiah ($16) for second-class seats to 350,000 rupiah ($22.60) for VIP seats. Passengers heading to downtown Bandung will need to transfer to a feeder train at Padalarang station, adding approximately 20 minutes and an estimated cost of about 50,000 rupiah ($3.20).
The rail agreement was signed in October 2015 after Indonesia selected China over Japan in a competitive bidding process. The project was financed with a loan from the China Development Bank, covering 75% of the cost, while the remaining 25% came from the consortium’s own funds.
The railway project is part of a planned 750-kilometer high-speed train line that will traverse four provinces on Java, Indonesia’s main island, concluding in the country’s second-largest city, Surabaya.
While some residents like Christianto Nusatya are excited about the bullet train, saying, “I’m so happy and very excited that finally, we can ride a bullet train in Indonesia,” others like Deddy Herlambang, executive director of the Jakarta-based NGO Institute for Transportation Studies, are skeptical about its economic viability. Herlambang believes the high-speed train would have a more substantial economic impact if it connected Jakarta and Surabaya, but he is pessimistic about its profitability for short-distance travel between Jakarta and Bandung. He predicts it may take up to 30 years for the railway project to become profitable.
Source: with agencies