Bandung, West Java (ANTARA) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) stated that the fare of the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Train (KCJB) would be around Rp250 thousand (approximately US$16.09) to Rp350 thousand (around US$22.53).

"For the fare, we will decide soon. However, it will be between Rp250 thousand and Rp350 thousand," the president stated at the Padalarang KCJB Station, Bandung District, West Java, on Monday.

Providing clarification as to when the fare will be implemented, President Jokowi urged the press to direct related questions to PT Kereta Cepat Indonesia China (KCIC), as the consortium of the KCJB development project.

The president underlined that the most crucial aspects in the management of the high-speed train are fast services and its transportation function.

"What is most important is the people are served well and the transportation function, (and) not about profit and loss," he emphasized.

Related news: Jokowi inaugurates Jakarta-Bandung high-speed train operation

On that occasion, the president also stated that the government had decided to extend the implementation of free fare for the KCJB service until mid-October of 2023.

Meanwhile, chief conductor of KCJB Yoga Bagus Nugraha stated that the KCJB, which is named Whoosh, offers three train classes: first class, with 18 seats; business class, with 28 seats; and economy class, with 555 seats.

The operation of the KCJB, or Whoosh, was inaugurated by President Jokowi on Monday at Halim KCJB Station, Jakarta.

After the inauguration, President Jokowi, accompanied by First Lady Iriana and his entourage, departed for Padalarang Station, aboard the Whoosh train, with a travel time of 26 minutes.

Whoosh can reach a speed of up to 350 kilometers per hour. With a headway of 20-30 minutes, it provides a new travel option to cut the travel time between Jakarta and Bandung to just 36-44 minutes, from around three hours.

The train stations apply a Transit Oriented Development (TOD) concept to ensure an integrated service system with various types of transportation modes, an array of culinary delights, and facilities.

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Translator: Andi Firdaus, Raka Adji
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
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