Minister Of Transportation Budi Karya Ensures Additional Logistics Railways In South Sulawesi Will Soon Be Completed

Minister of Transportation Budi Karya Sumadi (Photo: Ministry of Transportation)

Minister of Transportation (Menhub) Budi Karya Sumadi reviewed the construction of an additional train (KA) Makassar-Parepare at Mangilu station, Pangkep Regency, South Sulawesi (Sulsel), on Friday, July 19.

This line is a shift track that connects trains with the Semen Tonasa factory. This review is also to ensure the acceleration of the construction of the Makassar-Parepare railway line to support logistics transportation.

"I am in Mangilu, South Sulawesi. In this location there is a Semen Tonasa factory. Today, we ensure that the Makassar-Parepare train is not only a passenger transportation, but also a mode of transportation for goods," said Minister of Transportation Budi in a written statement quoted from the Ministry of Transportation's official website, Saturday, July 20.

Budi said that train connectivity from Garongkong Port (Mandai Station) to Mangilu station or Semen Tonasa factory is being pursued. The hope is that this railway line can be sustainable so that it can facilitate logistics mobility and in the long term can reduce shipping costs.

It is known that the Makassar-Parepare railway line has been built along 118 kilometers (km), including the Mangilu station line to Garongkong station along 56.7 km. The shift track connecting the train with Garongkong Port and the Tonasa Cement Factory is 15.7 km long.

"Of course there are efforts made, so that the connectivity of goods or cement from the Semen Tonasa factory to the port can be transported by train," he said.

Meanwhile, President Director of PT Semen Tonasa Asruddin said that logistics transportation modes using trains are beneficial not only for industry players, but also for the wider community.

"We hope that this mode will have a good impact on industrial development in Pangkep and Sulawesi Regencies as a whole," he said.

As for passenger transportation, the Makassar-Parepare train has operated from Garongkong Station to Mangilu Station, and has passed seven stations.

The train serves four trips per day with a seat capacity of 270 seats. From the beginning of the operation until July 15, 2024, the total number of passengers reached 377,456 people, with a load factor of 76.24 percent.