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Indonesia may offer new railway project to China
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An officer of state-owned railway operator PT KAI checks the condition of a train car of Argo Parahyangan, serving Jakarta-Bandung route. (tempo.co/Prima Mulia)
I
ndonesia may offer China a project to construct an extended railway connecting Jakarta and West Java in a move that will allow the latter to tighten its grip on the former’s infrastructure development.
PT Kereta Cepat Indonesia China (KCIC), a joint venture between an Indonesian consortium and a Chinese consortium, is preparing for the construction of 142-kilometer high-speed railway linking Jakarta and West Java’s capital Bandung. The project is estimated to cost US$5.9 billion and will largely be funded by a loan from the Chinese Development Bank (CDB).
Even though President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo previously expressed his concerns over risks involved in the Jakarta-Bandung railway project, the latest Cabinet meeting discussed the possibility of extending the route from Tegalluar in Bandung regency, to Kertajati, Majalengka regency, West Java, where the Kertajati International Airport is located.
The plan is part of the government’s goal to establish a transportation network between Jakarta and West Java by 2045.
Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi said the government would likely ask China to take on the new project.
“It should be like that,” he said in reference to an offer to China. “If a private investor is already willing, why should we try to pull in [another investor]?”
The Bandung-Jakarta railway will pass through four stations located in Walini in West Bandung regency, Tegalluar in Bandung regency, Karawang regency and Halim in East Jakarta.
