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Ganjar supports extending HSR to Surabaya, maintaining mineral export ban
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Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo attends an event on Sept. 9, 2022, to commemorate National Sports Day at Sriwedari Sports Stadium in Surakarta, Central Java. (Central Java Administration /-)
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resumed presidential candidate Ganjar Pranowo said that he would support extending the Whoosh high-speed railway (HSR), a Sino-Indonesian flagship project started by President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, to Surabaya.
“Of course [I would extend the HSR to Surabaya], if not, the economy won’t run,” he said to the reporters during his visit to Malang, East Java, but did not specify how he would make the project come to fruition.
The Whoosh HSR, which currently extends 142 kilometers, connects Jakarta and Bandung. Extending the rail link to Surabaya would add another 800 km.
The government inaugurated ASEAN’s first HSR on Oct. 2, but has yet to start official ticket sales.
Read also: More work ahead, analysts say on day of HSR inauguration
Experts have said extending the railway to Surabaya is the only viable way to make the project financially sustainable, as HSRs must cover at least 400 km to be profitable.
Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi said in September that the extension of the HSR to Surabaya would be the work of the next administration, as quoted from Antara.
