Indonesia opens first high-speed rail line

Indonesia's first high-speed railway has begun accepting passengers, significantly reducing travel times between the country's two largest cities.

Part of China's Belt and Road infrastructure initiative and largely funded by Chinese state-owned companies, the $7.3 billion project opened to the public on October 1 after long delays.

The train connects the capital Jakarta and Bandung in West Java province, Indonesia's second largest city and a major arts and cultural center.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo during a test run of the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway on September 13. Photo: AFP — Indonesian President Joko Widodo during a test run of the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway on September 13. Photo: *AFP*

The 138-km high-speed railway line is named WHOOSH, an acronym for the Indonesian phrase "time-saving, optimal operation, reliable system".

The electric train has no direct carbon emissions and travels at a speed of about 350 km/h, the highest in Southeast Asia, reducing travel time between Jakarta and Bandung from three hours to less than an hour, Indonesian officials said.

Overseen by the state-owned joint venture PT Kereta Cepat Indonesia-China (PT KCIC), the train travels between Halim station in East Jakarta and Padalarang station in West Bandung, and is well connected to the local public transport system.

Officials said the trains are adapted to Indonesia's tropical climate and equipped with safety systems that can respond to earthquakes, floods and other emergencies.

Earlier this month, PT KCIC director Dwiyana Slamet Riyadi said relevant agencies were in talks to extend the high-speed rail line to Surabaya, a major port and capital of East Java province.

According to information released by PT KCIC, the train has 8 cars, all equipped with Wi-Fi hotspots and charging points, and can accommodate 601 passengers. There will be three classes of seats, including first class, second class, and VIP.

Indonesia, the world’s fourth-largest country and Southeast Asia’s largest economy , has been aggressively courting investment from China, its largest economic partner. A summit in July between Indonesian President Joko Widodo and Chinese President Xi Jinping revealed a series of projects, including plans to build a multibillion-dollar Chinese glass factory on Rempang Island in Indonesia’s Riau Islands.

The plan has sparked weeks of protests by locals who say the project will destroy the villages where they live.

The agreement to develop Indonesia’s high-speed rail line was signed in 2015 and construction began later that year. The project was originally scheduled to be completed in 2019 but has faced multiple delays due to the Covid-19 pandemic and soaring costs.

PT KCIC Director General Dwiyana hailed the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway as “an outstanding example of bilateral cooperation between Indonesia and China”. It will not only improve Indonesia’s infrastructure but also “promote the development of Indonesia’s manufacturing and railway sectors”, he said.