We will continue to optimize the first high-speed train in the country. Later, if it is connected to the LRT in Jakarta, the fast train, and local trains in Bandung, then we will have the best intermodal integration package in the country.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) Minister Erick Thohir has said that he is ready to optimize the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed train (KCJB) service, which will be the first such service for Indonesia.

"It is a historic moment. Not only is it one of the iconic cooperations between the government of Indonesia and the government of China, but it will also integrate transportation modes in Jakarta and Bandung," Thohir noted here on Wednesday.

He said that the KCJB project is one of the national strategic projects that is predicted to have a positive impact not only on the transportation sector, but also the economy.

"We will continue to optimize the first high-speed train in the country. Later, if it is connected to the LRT in Jakarta, the fast train, and local trains in Bandung, then we will have the best intermodal integration package in the country," Thohir explained.

While the full-scale construction of the collaboration project between Indonesia and China began in June 2018, operational trials of the project were witnessed online by Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, as part of a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Nusa Dua, Bali on Wednesday (November 16, 2022).

The Jakarta-Bandung high-speed train is targeted to be fully operational by mid-2023.

"Currently, the preparations are on track, and President Joko Widodo visited (the high-speed train construction site) on October 13, 2022," Thohir informed.

Indonesia will be the first country to get a high-speed train service in Southeast Asia, according to the minister. It will serve as an alternative mode of mass transportation for people who want to travel quickly, comfortably, and safely.

Not only that, the project is expected to have a socioeconomic and environmental impact and create jobs, both during the project construction stage and the operation stage. It is also expected to help reduce traffic congestion, emissions, and fuel consumption.

Furthermore, the KCJB will cut travel time and potentially help enhance the economy of regions located around stations.


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Translator: Aji C, Kenzu
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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