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More work ahead, analysts say on day of HSR inauguration
Despite the inauguration of the long-awaited Jakarta-Bandung HSR, analysts find little to celebrate, pointing out that keeping the new service running and generating revenue were the greater challenges to start offsetting the project's massive cost overrun.
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President Joko Widodo gestures on Sept. 13, 2023 during a trial run of the new Jakarta-Bandung high-speed rail in Jakarta.
(AFP/Akbar Nugroho Gumay)
P
resident Joko "Jokowi" Widodo finally inaugurated the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed rail (HSR) on Monday, marking an end to years of delays in the project, but analysts say it is just the beginning of more pressing problems, especially in how to keep it running and repay the debt it has incurred.
The newly inaugurated rail service, branded Whoosh for Waktu Hemat, Operasi Optimal, Sistem Handal (time-saving, optimal operation, reliable system), can reach speeds of up to 350 kilometers per hour and is the first high-speed rail system in the ASEAN region.
In his speech to launch the new public transportation service, President Jokowi said the Jakarta-Bandung HSR project marked the modernization of Indonesia’s mass transportation to be more efficient while reducing emissions. It also brought new technology into the country, he said.
"We must not afraid to learn and try new things, despite unexpected difficulties, problems and imperfections that may rise during the process. Experience is expensive, but it is so valuable for us," the President said.
Jokowi also reminded all parties to not be "allergic" to criticism and stressed that infrastructure development would lead to a better future for the country.
The 142-kilometer rail service project faced multiple delays so it overshot its original 2019 target for commencing operations, partly due to the COVID-19 pandemic but also because of the project’s overly optimistic planning.
It also racked up a cost overrun of over US$1.2 billion from its initial budget of $6.05 billion, which resulted in greater indebtedness to the China Development Bank (CDB), the project’s key debt financer.
