9-7-2023 (JAKARTA) Kartinah, a 38-year-old housewife, has been living with the constant noise of construction work at Padalarang station for the last few years. As one of four high-speed rail (HSR) stations that will connect Jakarta with West Java’s capital, Bandung, the station is only about 65% complete as of early July, despite the other three being close to completion. Funding for the landmark Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) project was provided by Beijing through its China Development Bank, and after winning the bid against Japan, construction began in 2015. The HSR is set to be soft-launched next month to coincide with Indonesia’s Independence Day on August 17, making it Indonesia’s and Southeast Asia’s first high-speed train.
The high-speed rail train will cut travel time from Jakarta to Bandung from over three hours to about 40 minutes, covering a distance of 142km through four stations: Halim, Karawang, Padalarang, and Tegalluar. Halim station is in East Jakarta, while the other three are located in West Java province. However, accessibility to the stations for the public remains an issue. Transport analyst Darmaningtyas, who is the head of Instran, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) focusing on transport issues, stated that all four stations have very limited accessibility. Commuters who intend to get to South Jakarta from the station located in East Jakarta, for example, may spend about 1.5 hours in traffic during peak hours.
Additionally, the safety of passengers must be ensured, and the HSR is still not certified. Mr Deddy Herlambang, deputy head of road and rail at Jakarta-based NGO Indonesian Transportation Society, highlighted that all facilities and infrastructure such as telecommunications and electricity must be certified. He added that the human resources must be certified and undergo trials. The Indonesian government is working with an independent assessor to review the trials, and the safety of passengers – from arriving at the station to exiting the train – will be guaranteed.
As authorities rush to complete the project ahead of its soft launch in August and its October timeline, Kartinah hopes that the high-speed train will provide more access to public transport and shorten commuting time while being affordable to the public. Authorities have yet to announce the ticket price.
