S

tate railway operator Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) is considering reactivating the railway track connecting tourist city Yogyakarta with one of the country’s biggest tourist destinations, Borobudur Temple in Central Java, to accommodate visitors.

KAI president director Edi Sukmoro stated that the company was discussing with the Transportation Ministry about reactivating the track connecting Yogyakarta and Magelang, Central Java, to access the Borobudur Temple, which drew 1.6 million visitors last year.

There used to be a line from Yogyakarta to Magelang, which stopped operating in 1978. An examination by the company showed that the line has since been built over with housing and shops.

“If that’s not possible, we might even build a new track,” Edi said on Monday.

The comment was made after the Transportation Ministry stated it would build the track from Yogyakarta to Magelang, which then would be extended to reach Borobudur, to aid connectivity for tourists going to Borobudur.

Borobudur is one of the 10 emerging destinations to be developed by the government to serve as alternatives to Bali, which has so far been the main attraction for tourists, in an attempt by the government to reach its target of 20 million foreign tourist visits by 2019.

The government has named Borobudur, scenic Toba Lake in North Sumatra, as well as Mandalika as the main development priorities for the government.

Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi said he expected work on the new railway track from Yogyakarta to Magelang to start in mid-2018 and to be finished by 2019. Meanwhile, the land procurement will start this year.

The railway, estimated at 40 kilometers, will require up to Rp 6 trillion (US$447.9 million) of funding from the state budget and possibly private sector.

Edi also stated that the company was mulling the reactivation of a railway connecting the city of Bandung and Ciwidey, both in West Java, where many tourist attractions in Bandung are located.

“The roads leading there have become too congested,” he said.

Tourism is one of the main sectors to be developed under President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s administration, which is expected to contribute at least 15 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), up from 9.3 percent at present.

Tourism Minister Arief Yahya stated that one of the main concerns that could hinder the government from reaching the target would be accessibility of tourism destinations.

— JP/Farida Susanty