We (Transportation Ministry) have coordinated ... to jointly resolve this problem.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi has called for expediting the completion of the Maros-Mandai railway line, which is a part of the Makassar-Parepare railway national strategic project (PSN) in South Sulawesi province.

Currently, there are still some issues regarding land acquisition at a number of construction sites for the Maros-Mandai railway line, he said while reviewing the progress of the project, according to a statement released on Saturday.

"We (the Transportation Ministry) have coordinated with the regional government, Commission V of DPR RI (Indonesian House of Representatives), and Forkopimda (Regional Leadership Communication Forum) to jointly resolve this problem,” he added.

He then expressed his gratitude to all parties who have expressed their support for faster completion of the project.

During his visit to the construction site of the project, the minister also boarded a train from Maros Station to Garongkong Station, which is located near Garongkong Port.

Apart from ferrying passengers, the Makassar-Parepare railway line will also support logistics distribution with the help of freight trains from Garongkong Port, Semen Tonasa manufacturing area, and Bosowa Industrial Area, he informed.

At present, the Makassar-Parepare train line is partially operational along the 80-kilometer (km) stretch from Garongkong Station to Maros Station, the Transportation Ministry noted.

Once the 4-km Maros-Mandai railway line is completed, the total length of the operationalized stretch of the Makassar-Parepare railway line—from Garongkong Station to Mandai Station—will become 84 km.

Earlier, in December 2022, the government conducted a trial limited operation of trains on the Garongkong Station-Maros Station route for free.

The Transportation Ministry said that people's interest in boarding the trains was quite high, with 333 passengers recorded in a single day on December 25, 2022.

After improving the soil structure, the speed of the trains can be increased from 60 km per hour to 110 km per hour. Hence, the travel time from Garongkong Station to Maros Station can be reduced from 86 minutes to 68 minutes.

Currently, trains on the Garongkong Station-Maros Station route are fully operational every day and pass through nine stations.

The ministry is also preparing bus transportation from Mandai Station to Sultan Hasanuddin Airport to integrate the transportation modes in the region.


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Translator: Benardy Ferdiansyah, Uyu Liman
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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