Indonesia has launched the first high-speed train line in Southeast Asia that can reach speeds of up to 350 km/h, helping to connect transportation between the country's major cities.
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| President Joko Widodo expressed his joy and pride at the major milestone in Indonesia's transportation sector. (Source: Xinhua) |
The inauguration ceremony on October 1 was attended by President Joko Widodo, First Lady Irana, cabinet ministers and several media units.
In his opening speech, Mr. Widodo expressed his pride in the first high-speed train in Indonesia and Southeast Asia that can reach speeds of up to 350km/h, thereby marking the modernization of Indonesia's transportation mode.
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| The Whoosh high-speed train project is seen as a symbol of Indonesia-China bilateral relations and promises to open up new cooperation opportunities for both sides. (Source: Xinhua) |
Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan emphasized that with the synchronous cooperation between governments at all levels, state-owned and private enterprises, and the Chinese government, Indonesia's high-speed train project has been successfully completed and put into operation. In addition, China has agreed to transfer technology so that in the future, Jakarta can produce high-speed trains domestically.
The ship's official name is Whoosh, which means fast, efficient and reliable in Indonesian. Notably, the ship is electric and has zero carbon emissions.
The train has a total of 8 carriages with a capacity of up to 601 passengers, divided into 3 classes: first class, second class and VIP class. All carriages are fully equipped with wifi and USB sockets. From October 3 to October 16, the train system will be put into operation and passengers will be given free tickets. From October 17 onwards, people will start having to buy tickets.
The 86-mile (138km) railway line will take just one hour to travel from Halim Station in East Jakarta to Padalarang Station in West Bandung, West Java. It will contribute to promoting people-to-people exchanges and developing important areas such as trade, tourism and education.
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| Many Indonesians are eager to experience the journey on the fastest high-speed train in Southeast Asia. (Source: Xinhua) |
Part of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the $7.3 billion project was signed by the two governments in 2015 and construction began later that year, with completion expected in 2019.
However, due to many problems, from land acquisition disputes, environmental issues to the Covid-19 pandemic, the project has been delayed. The cost of the project has skyrocketed from 66.7 trillion rupiah ($4.3 billion) to 113 trillion rupiah ($7.3 billion).
The state-owned joint venture PT Kereta Cepat Indonesia China (PT KCIC) is responsible for the project. The company has applied many technologies to help the ship adapt to Indonesia's tropical climate and be able to respond to emergencies such as earthquakes and floods. Therefore, this can be considered a remarkable cooperative achievement in Indonesia-China relations.
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| WHOOSH impresses with its neat and luxurious design, bringing a sense of both safety and excitement to passengers. (Source: Xinhua) |
According to Chinese state media, Indonesia and China are negotiating to extend the railway line to Surabaya, East Java. Accordingly, the train will pass through other major cities such as Semarang and Yogyakarta.
China is one of the major investors in Southeast Asian countries. Besides Indonesia, Beijing also cooperated with Laos to build a semi-high-speed railway connecting the two countries. The project was completed in December 2021.
The train, which can travel at speeds of up to 160 km/h, will run on a 1,035 km (643 mile) route and provide transport links between Vientiane and the southeastern Chinese city of Kunming.
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