Indonesia officially launched Southeast Asia’s fastest train route on Monday, connecting the capital city Jakarta to Bandung, the populous capital of West Java province. This significant infrastructure project, a part of China’s Belt and Road initiative, has been a key focus of collaboration between Indonesia and China.
The project, valued at $7.3 billion (€6.9 billion), saw the construction of a 142-kilometer (88.23-mile) high-speed rail line, known as the “Whoosh” train. With speeds of up to 350 kilometers per hour (217 mph), this bullet train drastically reduces the travel time between Jakarta and Bandung from three hours to approximately 40 minutes.
Despite facing delays and increasing costs, Indonesian President Joko Widodo, often called “Jokowi,” has been a strong advocate for the project. The train’s name, “Whoosh,” is inspired by the sound of a high-speed train, according to President Jokowi.
Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, the coordinating minister for maritime and investment, highlighted that China Railway has agreed to transfer its technology to Indonesia, enabling the country to produce high-speed trains domestically.
The project was undertaken 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. The rail deal, signed in October 2015, was funded with a loan from the China Development Bank, covering 75% of the total cost, with the remaining 25% coming from the consortium’s own funds.
Despite initial plans for a lower budget, the project’s cost increased from 66.7 trillion rupiah ($4.3 billion) to 113 trillion rupiah ($7.3 billion) due to various challenges, including land procurement issues and pandemic-related delays.
The completion of this high-speed train route marks a significant milestone in Indonesia’s efforts to modernize its mass transportation infrastructure, providing a faster and more environmentally friendly mode of travel between two major cities.
