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Airport train project back on track as govt delays loop line
The governmentâs decision to delay an elevated loop line project on several sections of Jakartaâs commuter line tracks has allowed the development of a railway connecting Soekarno-Hatta International Airport to continue
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he government's decision to delay an elevated loop line project on several sections of Jakarta's commuter line tracks has allowed the development of a railway connecting Soekarno-Hatta International Airport to continue.
State-owned railway operator PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) president director Ignasius Jonan said the company would start working on parts of the commuter line airport train project, such as train signaling, next month.
'Other work will follow. Our target is to start operating this [airport] train system at the end of 2014,' Jonan said on Monday on the sidelines of a meeting with deputies at the State-Owned Enterprises Ministry.
Previously, Jonan said the airport train project and the development of Greater Jakarta commuter lines had been hampered by the central government's decision to elevate sections of the railway in central parts of the city.
The loop line consists of major transit stations for passengers traveling to and from the suburbs that encircle the capital: Jatinegara (East Jakarta), Manggarai (South Jakarta), Tanah Abang (Central Jakarta), Duri (West Jakarta), Kota (West Jakarta), and Kampung Bandan (North Jakarta).
The airport commuter line alone will pass through Manggarai'Sudirman (Central Jakarta)'Tanah Abang'Duri'Grogol (West Jakarta)'Bojong Indah (West Jakarta)'Kalideres (West Jakarta)'Tanah Tinggi (Tangerang)'Soekarno Hatta.
'We have ordered coaches for this airport train system, made by [state-owned train maker] INKA and [Canadian aircraft maker] Bombardier,' he said, adding KAI's subsidiary Railink would operate the Soekarno-Hatta commuter line.
According to Railink commissioner Bambang Irawan, his firm would operate six sets of trains, each consisting of 48 coaches, in the first stage of the operation.
The firm would add more coaches in the future as demand was projected to continue to rise.
'The train will depart from Manggarai station every 30 minutes and will travel for around 55 minutes to Soekarno-Hatta,' Bambang said.
The commuter train is not only aimed at reducing highway congestion, but also to support the Manggarai'Soekarno Hatta express train system being studied by state infrastructure financing company PT Sarana Multi Infrastruktur.
Meanwhile, Transportation Ministry director-general for railways Tundjung Inderawan did not provide any answer on the delayed loop line project when contacted by The Jakarta Post.
However, National Planning and Development Board (Bappenas) expert for public private partnership M. Zulfikar said the elevated loop line project would give time for more important projects to run first.
'We'll let any project that is more crucial for railway development to run first, with other projects to follow suit and adjust to the existing development,' Zulfikar told the Post.
He also said it was too late to elevate the railway and would take a lot of effort from the government because the capital had been overcrowded.
The elevated loop line project is estimated to cost the country Rp 9.5 trillion (US$826.5 million), with the first phase of the project covering the eastern loop line linking Manggarai and Kampung Bandan.
