Indonesian President Joko Widodo inaugurated Southeast Asia’s first high-speed railway on Monday as it was set to begin commercial operations, a key project under China’s Belt and Road infrastructure initiative that will drastically reduce the travel time between two key cities. The project has been beset with delays and increasing costs, and some observers doubt its commercial benefits. But Widodo has championed the 142-kilometre (88-mile) railway, which was issued its official operating license from the Transportation Ministry on Sunday.
The USD 7.3 billion project, largely funded by China, was constructed by PT Kereta Cepat Indonesia-China, known as PT KCIC, a joint venture between an Indonesian consortium of four state-owned companies and China Railway International Co. Ltd. The railway connects Jakarta with Bandung, the heavily populated capital of West Java province, and will cut travel time between the cities from the current three hours to about 40 minutes.
Its use of electrical energy is expected to reduce carbon emissions.
Widodo in his opening remarks officially named Indonesia’s first high-speed railway — the fastest in Southeast Asia, with speeds of up to 350 kph (217 mph) — as “Whoosh,” from “Waktu Hemat, Operasi Optimal, Sistem Handal,” which means “timesaving, optimal operation, reliable system” in Indonesian language. “The Jakarta-Bandung high-speed train marks the modernisation of our mass transportation, which is efficient and environmentally friendly,” Widodo said.
“Our courage to try new things gives us confidence and the opportunity to learn and will be very useful for the future, making our human resources more advanced and our nation more independent,” he added. Widodo, along with other high-ranking officials, rode Whoosh from its first station, Halim in eastern Jakarta, to Bandung’s Padalarang station, one of the line’s four stations, located about 30 kilometres (18 miles) from the central area of Bandung.
He took a 25-minute test ride on the train on September 13 and told reporters that he felt comfortable sitting or walking inside the bullet train even at its top speeds. Chinese Premier Li Qiang recently test-rode a high-speed train during his visit to Jakarta, where he engaged in talks with leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and other nations. Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, the coordinating minister for maritime and investment, revealed that China Railway has agreed to share its technology with Indonesia, enabling the domestic production of high-speed trains. Ahead of its inauguration, PT KCIC conducted a two-week public trial of the high-speed rail. Construction on this project began in 2016 but faced delays due to disputes over land acquisition, environmental concerns, and the COVID-19 pandemic, ultimately raising the project’s cost from USD 4.3 billion to USD 7.3 billion. The modified trains are designed to withstand Indonesia’s tropical climate and include safety systems for earthquake, flood, and emergency response. Ticket pricing details were pending, but estimates ranged from USD 16 for second class to USD 22.60 for VIP seats. This project is part of a 750-kilometer high-speed train line across Java, connecting several provinces and ending in Surabaya.
