The first high-speed railway (HSR) connecting Jakarta and Bandung is launched on October 2. (Photo: https://futuresoutheastasia.com/) Hanoi (VNA) – Indonesian Transport Minister BudiKarya Sumadi has revealed that the Southeast Asian country plans to expandthe Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway line to Surabaya city in East Javaprovince.
Sumadi said on the sidelines of the launching ceremony of the first high-speed railway (HSR) connecting Jakarta and Bandung on October 2 that a high-speed train would cover the distance between Jakartaand Surabaya in 3.5 hours compared to regular trains, which take 11 hours tocomplete the journey.
"The Jakarta-Bandung high-speed train(KCJB) would only require 29 minutes to reach Padalarang, West Java. If weextend the route, it could reach Surabaya in just 3 to 3.5 hours," he said.
The 142-kilometre Jakarta-Bandung HSR, the first one inIndonesia and Southeast Asia, was developed at an estimated cost of 7.3 billionUSD. With amaximum speed of 350 km per hour, this electric train with no direct carbonemissions can help reduce travel time between these two cities from 3 hours tojust 45 minutes.
The launch of the high-speed train is considered a criticalmilestone in modernising Indonesia's transportation system, which is efficient,environmentally friendly and integrated with other public transportationnetworks./.
