Fast Train Route Will Be Connected To Surabaya, Coordinating Minister For Maritime Affairs Ready To Report Studies To Jokowi

Illustration (Photo: Doc. Antara)

Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, stated that the government will review the continuation of the extension of the Jakarta-Bandung High Speed Rail (KCJB) project to Surabaya, East Java.

This proposal was conveyed by Luhut after trying KCJB from Halim Station to Tegalluar together with a number of parties such as the Minister of Transportation Budi Karya Sumadi, KCIC Director Dwiyana Slamet Riyadi, including with the Chairman of the China State Railway Group Liu Zhenfang.

"I think this is a technological leap, we have asked, later we will report it to the President (Jokowi) for the study for Bandung to Surabaya," said Luhut at Halim KCJB Station, Jakarta, Thursday, June 22.

Luhut said, armed with the KCJB development experience for the past five years, the government together with PT Kereta Cepat Indonesia China (KCIC) can save development costs.

As is known, the transportation project that connects DKI Jakarta and Bandung has recorded an increase in costs of up to 1.2 billion US dollars.

"Of course, with our current experience, we will definitely make a lot of savings. Mr. Liu (Director of Rolling Stock Contractor KCJB) agrees with that," he said.

In addition, the extension of the Fast Train route from Bandung to Surabaya, said Luhut, will be supported by the downstream domestic industry which is being boosted by the government to reduce dependence on imports of raw materials.

"There will be a lot of material that we don't need to import anymore, we will use domestically," he said.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Transportation, Budi Karya Sumadi added, his party will support the extension of this fast train route to Surabaya.

"God willing, we can do it and this is the first time and God willing, this will reach Surabaya," said Budi.

Furthermore, Budi said China as a partner in the KCJB project only has two locations where there are trains with speeds of up to 350 km per hour. Meanwhile, Indonesia is the first time.

Before preparing for the extension of the route to Surabaya, Budi said the Ministry of Transportation would focus on certifying the feasibility of operations as a stage of issuing operational permits for KCJB.

"In the next two weeks we will intensely carry out one commissioning or testing of the trains that will be used, we hope that in July it will be finished," he said.