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n a bid to provide more public transportation to Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, besides taxis and buses, the Transportation Ministry plans to build an express rail link connecting Halim Perdanakusuma in East Jakarta to the airport, which is located in Tangerang, Banten.

Deputy Transportation Minister Bambang Susantono said on Tuesday that the ministry was now finalizing the project'€™s feasibility study and preparing for tenders.

'€œWe have been waiting for an airport train for so long. Hence, the project should be finished as quickly as possible,'€ he said, adding that the ministry hoped the project would be completed by 2018.

Pradana Murti, development head of the state-owned infrastructure-financing company, PT Sarana Multi Infrastruktur (SMI), which is carrying out the feasibility study, said the ministry was now determining the precise route of the 34-kilometer line.

'€œThe express train will have stations in Halim Perdanakusuma in East Jakarta, Manggarai in South Jakarta, Dukuh Atas and Tanah Abang in Central Jakarta, Pluit in North Jakarta as well as the airport,'€ he said.

Pradana said the ministry aimed to synchronize the plan with the planned elevated loopline project, which will begin next year.

'€œWe have to ensure that there are technical solutions for joggling tracks,'€ he said.

'€œThe stations will also connect with existing train stations to facilitate commuters traveling to the airport, who need to change lines from commuter trains,'€ he said.

He added that once the route was confirmed, the ministry would launch the investment tender by the end of this year or early next year.

'€œMany foreign companies have shown an interest in the project, so I think there will be no problem with the tender process,'€ he said, adding that the project was worth Rp 20 trillion (US$1.79 billion)

Pradana said his company had proposed that the double-track line be elevated, so as to guarantee reliability and speed.

He said that with an elevated track, trains traveling at 150 kms per hour would take less than 30 minutes to reach the airport from Halim Perdanakusuma. '€œThe train will also be able to transport up to 40,000 people per day,'€ he said.

He also said that his company was currently working out how much the train tickets should cost, adding that they should be much lower than taxi fares. '€œLow ticket prices will encourage people to take the train from the city to the airport,'€ he said.

Beside the express airport train, state-owned railway operator PT KAI also plans to construct a 7-km section of track connecting the existing commuter line in Batu Ceper, Tangerang, to Soekarno-Hatta airport.

However, the train operator has set back its target of completing the project from 2014 to 2015.

PT KAI spokesman Sugeng Priyono said the project was being delayed due to the new proposal for Jakarta'€™s elevated loopline track.