Ambassador Lu Kang: Jakarta-Bandung High Speed Train Tightens Indonesia-China Diplomatic Relations

Illustration. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - PT Kereta Cepat Indonesia China (KCIC) stated that the longest tunnel project for the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed train tunnel 2 in Jatiluhur, Purwakarta, West Java, has been completed, which indicates that 13 tunnels have now been connected. "This is one of the most important milestones in the process of completing the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed rail project. Today, we have breakthrough tunnel 2," he told reporters in Purwakarta, West Java, quoted from Antara, Wednesday, June 22. Previously, the construction of tunnel 2 with a length of 1,040 meters was one of the construction points that had high challenges because it was located in clay or clay shale. This tunnel project was successfully completed on June 17, 2022. This type of soil has characteristics that are easily weathered when exposed during excavation, so that it has the potential to cause movement of the embankment construction and the road above it. The clay soil is classified as extreme because if exposed to water and air it can reduce up to 80 percent of the soil's carrying capacity. "Tunnel 2 is one of the toughest obstacles in the construction of the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed rail project due to geological conditions filled with clay shale," explained Dwiyana.

KCIC carried out several mitigations by adding excavations that were originally two points to four points. In addition, the company also added workers to increase the number of layers from three layers to nine layers to avoid excavation collapse. KCIC covered the walls and roof of the tunnel with double sheet walls to strengthen the tunnel, thereby slowing down project work.

Dwiyana said that the investment progress of the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed rail project has reached 84 percent, while the physical progress has reached 76 percent. The commercial operation target is targeted for June 2023. In November 2022 KCIC will conduct dynamic tests to conduct trials of Electric Multiple Units (EMU). The EMU series is targeted to arrive in Indonesia in September. Chinese Ambassador to Indonesia Lu Kang said the progress of the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed rail project is important for Indonesia's diplomatic relations with China. He said that the President of Indonesia and the President of China are very concerned about this transportation project because whenever they communicate they always discuss the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed rail project. In the future, we can also be better at working together," concluded Lu Kang.