22-6-2023 (JAKARTA) Coordinating Minister for Maritime and Investments, Luhut Pandjaitan, announced on Thursday (Jun 22) that Indonesia is planning to conduct a preliminary study on a high-speed rail link between Bandung and Surabaya. This ambitious project aims to connect Java, the country’s most populous island, from west to east. The announcement came after Mr. Pandjaitan experienced the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed train during a trial run, which is part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) landmark project in Indonesia.
“We want to report to the president about preliminary studies for one (high-speed train) from Bandung to Surabaya. Of course, with our current experience, there will definitely be a lot of savings that we can make,” said Mr. Pandjaitan.
Accompanied by Minister of Transportation Budi Karya Sumadi, Mr. Pandjaitan rode the high-speed train from Bandung to Jakarta during its first test run at the projected speed of 350km/h. Mr. Sumadi expressed his excitement, saying, “This was the first time, and God willing, it will go up to Surabaya. Extraordinarily, (the train traveled at) 350km/h, and it was stable. It could run without us needing to hold on (for support).” He also revealed that the high-speed train even reached a speed of 385km/h.
The high-speed rail project consists of 11 electric passenger trains and one inspection train, all fully manufactured by CRRC Qingdao Sifang, a state-owned subsidiary of China Railway Rolling Stock. Each train comprises eight carriages and can accommodate up to 600 passengers at a time. The train features a VIP class for 18 passengers, a first-class carriage for 28 passengers, second-class carriages for 555 passengers, and a dining carriage. Once operational, it is estimated that the trains will carry around 30,000 passengers daily.
Minister Sumadi stated that all trains will undergo testing until the end of July to ensure readiness for a soft launch, which is scheduled to be attended by President Joko Widodo in August. During the soft launch, selected members of the public will be invited to experience the new high-speed trains free of charge. The goal is to have the trains fully operational by October.
The Bandung-Surabaya high-speed rail link, covering a distance of 142 kilometers, will become the fastest in Southeast Asia and Indonesia’s first fast-train rail connection. It will connect Jakarta with the capital of West Java, Bandung, through four stations in approximately 40 minutes, significantly reducing travel time. Currently, the same journey by regular train takes around three hours.
Funded by the China Development Bank, the high-speed railway project commenced in 2015 and was initially targeted for completion in 2019. China won the bid against Japan to undertake this prestigious project. However, the project encountered various delays due to challenges such as land acquisition and COVID-19-related restrictions.
Last year, when the high-speed trains manufactured in China arrived in Indonesia, it marked the first export of Chinese-made high-speed trains to another country. Despite the ongoing construction work and financial issues faced by the project, PT KCIC, the consortium responsible for building the railway, aims to overcome these hurdles and deliver a successful high-speed rail system to enhance connectivity in Indonesia.
