T

he Bandung administration has confirmed that the construction of Light Rail Transit (LRT) in the Greater Bandung area, designed to support the nation’s first high-speed rail service, will be funded by the central government.

Bandung Mayor Ridwan Kamil said President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo was drafting a presidential regulation (Perpres) on the construction of the LRT, and the regulation would also encompass financing.

“It’s very good news that the LRT will be funded by the state budget, not by my administration,” he said.

The LRT will be integrated with the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed rail service and will serve as a mode of connection from high-speed rail stations in Tegalluar and Bandung.

The Jakarta-Bandung high-speed rail service will operate along a 142 kilometer route from Halim in Jakarta to Tegalluar and Bandung.

Ridwan said the LRT project would be carried out by state-owned enterprises appointed by the government.

“They will carry out detailed engineering and construction. The completion target will be the same as the high-speed rail project, or at least the route to the city of Bandung can be completed first,” added Ridwan.

Earlier, the West Java provincial administration proposed eight LRT lines, two in the city of Bandung and the rest connecting to regencies and cities outside of Bandung.

The proposed lines are Leuwipanjang-Jatinangor, Leuwipanjang-Padalarang, Leuwipanjang-Soreang, Gedebage-Majalaya, Dago-Leuwipanjang, Cibeureum-Gedebage, Martadinata-Majalaya and Dago-Pasirluyu.

The main stations will be located at 14 points, namely Padalarang, Cibeureum Circle, Leuwipanjang, Soreang, Banjaran, Majalaya, Tanjungsari, Jatinangor, Gedebage, Martadinata, Dago Terminal, Ciumbuleuit, Babakan Siliwangi and Pasirluyu.

Ridwan expressed hope that the LRT project could be prioritized for the corridor from the high-speed train station in Tegalluar to Bandung. According to him, funds from the state budget would greatly support the development of this mode of transportation.

Ridwan estimated that a single corridor, about 11 kilometers long, would require an investment of at least Rp 500 billion (US$37 million). Therefore, for the eight lines, the Greater Bandung LRT project will require investment of at least Rp 40 trillion.

Ridwan said each corridor would have 12 stations. “The tender for the construction of the stations is currently being offered and I will find another investor to finance the development of those points,” said Ridwan.

West Java Transportation Agency head Taufik Dedi said the high-speed rail project and the Greater Bandung LRT project were necessary in order to connect a mode of transport from outside of Bandung into the city.

“We will adjust the spatial planning concept. To my knowledge, the LRT has been adapted with spatial planning in reference with Bandung City Bylaw No. 10/2015, and has also been included in the city’s railway master plan,” said Dedi.

Earlier, West Java provincial secretary Iwa Karniwa said of the eight regencies and cities passed by the high-speed rail service in the province, five regencies and cities had not revised their spatial planning related to the project.

This has put the construction of the high-speed rail project behind schedule. The $5.5 billion project is mainly being financed by the China Development Bank (CDB).

Currently, PT Kereta Cepat Indonesia China is preparing to procure land along the track where the high-speed rail service will pass through. The total area to be procured is around 500 hectares.