"The plan is good for our regional and national economy. Many developed countries, and even Singapore, rely on rail transport to support their economy," Economist from Riau University Edyanus Herman Halim said here Wednesday.
A railway line will also reduce dependence on land transportation such as the trans-Sumatra highway in the island and will significantly minimize damages to roads, he noted.
The plan, however, should be pursued seriously so that it does not face the same fate as that of other projects such as the construction of toll roads connecting Pekanbaru and Dumai, which still remains unrealized, Halim remarked.
Earlier, the Transportation Ministrys Director General for Railways Hermanto Dwiatmoko said the Rp65-trillion railway project will enable the people in Sumatra Island to accelerate their economic growth.
The 2,168-kilometer-long railway line that will connect Aceh in the northernmost tip of Sumatra and Lampung in the southern tip of the island will cover several cities and seaports such as Pekanbaru, Duri, Dumai, Tanjung Buton, and Kuala Enok in Riau, he pointed out.
(T. Fazar Muhardi/Uu.R013/INE/KR-BSR)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
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