Jakarta-Surabaya fast train will continue

JAKARTA. Government finally decided to continue the project of Jakarta-Surabaya fast train. Government has also asked Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT) to conduct feasibility study of the project in December this year.

Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Luhut Pandjaitan said that the feasibility study will be funded by state budget. Therefore, the government will have precise estimation on the investment value of this project. Initially, Japan has expressed commitment to involve in the project.

However, to date government has not yet selected the investor. Luhut said that government still opens opportunities for other investor candidates, which have proper technology and affordable investment value, to submit proposals to work on this project.

Minister of Transportation Budi Karya Sumadi added that to date the government has not yet selected the implementer of the project of Jakarta-Surabaya fast train. According to the Minister, government is still waiting the bid proposal from Japan. Previously, Japan had expressed its interest to involve in this project. The Minister did not mention other investors that have declared their interests to work on this project.

The Minister also said that the government has not decided yet the type of this project. “It could be revitalization or build the new one. There is no decision so far”, he said.

The government plans to construct Jakarta-Surabaya semi fast train, which has an average of speed around 150 kilometer-180 kilometer per hour. The train is expected to reduce the traveling time of 725 kilometer of Jakarta-Surabaya distance to less than five hours.

(MUHAMMAD FARID/Translator)