JAKARTA, Oct 2: The Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway (HSR), named ‘Whoosh,’ began operations on Monday, offering significant benefits to Indonesia, especially in terms of boosting employment opportunities and stimulating economic activity.
The nomenclature ‘Whoosh’ was inspired by the distinctive sound generated by the high-speed train. It is also an acronym in the Indonesian language for ‘Waktu Hemat, Operasi Optimal, Sistem Hebat,’ which translates to ‘Timesaving, Optimal Operation, Reliable System.’
The project introduces additional modes of transportation, or feeder vehicles, which encourage economic development beside the track and facilitate the transfer of the latest technology in construction and the modern railway system.
“The HSR will promote greater use of public transportation, aligning with the government’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions from private vehicles,” said Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan.
The inauguration of Indonesia’s inaugural high-speed rail, ‘Whoosh,’ was officiated by President Joko Widodo. This groundbreaking railway, boasting speeds of up to 350 km/h, spans 142 kilometres, connecting Halim Station in East Jakarta to Tegalluar Station in Bandung, West Java.
The railway offers three classes of service, comprising First Class with 18 seats, Business Class with 28 seats, and Economy Class with 555 seats. Operations will be incrementally scaled up to 68 trips per day.
Although ticket prices have not been finalised, estimates suggest they will range between 250,000 rupiah (RM75.81) and 350,000 rupiah (RM106.12).
The project is operated by PT Kereta Cepat Indonesia China, a consortium formed by Indonesian and Chinese state entities. This monumental endeavor is set to reduce travel time from over three hours to a mere 40 minutes.
Commencing in 2016, the US$7.3 billion project (US$1 = RM4.69), which experienced a US$1.2 billion cost overrun, faced setbacks due to challenges including slow land clearance, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the acquisition of an operating licence,
The Jakarta-Bandung HSR initiative is emblematic of a strategic partnership between Indonesia’s Global Maritime Axis and China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
— BERNAMA