Indonesia starts construction of high-speed rail line

Indonesia’s first high-speed railroad project, which started construction on Thursday, could become a financial and operational model for other headline infrastructure projects in the region, according to rail industry and funding experts. The government is asked to revoke Presidential Decree No 107 Year 2015 as it will speed up the damages of the environment.

West Java Walhi is also concerned about other impacts, including land conversion for elite residences, luxury apartments, and the growth of new industrial estates.

For his part, Widodo said he was very pleased with the official launching of the HSR project, which was agreed upon by both he and Xi.

The construction kicked off in Walini, a West Java town and location of one of the railway’s eight stations.

The Jakarta-Bandung link has been contracted to Kereta Cepat Indonesia Cina (KCIC), a consortium of Indonesian and Chinese state companies.

The president said state funds would be spent exclusively on infrastructure outside Java such as the trans-Sumatra highway and the Makassar-Manado railway project in Sulawesi, and Papua’s first rail network, which the government hopes to launch this year.

Zhang said that because most Southeast Asian nations have only just begun to build new railway lines or buy new trains, they are keen to acquire technological support from China, too, to assist in daily operations, maintenance, staff training and other services.

Also on hand for the ground breaking was Chinese State Councilor Wang Yong who arrived Wednesday and also will meet with Jokowi.

Following completion, the high-speed train system created to run at 250km/h will be integrated at both ends with the Mass Rapid Transit in Jakarta and the Light Rail Transit system in Bandung.

The high-speed train, running at 350 kilometers per hour, is predicted to take 36 minutes to get from Jakarta to Bandung.

After a chaotic bidding process, China was awarded the contract – infuriating Japan, which was long expected to build the track given its high-speed rail expertise. A line linking Singapore with Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia is expected to be finished in 2020.

Stay on topic – This helps keep the thread focused on the discussion at hand.

Be Civil – It’s OK to have a difference in opinion but there’s no need to be a jerk.