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Experts warn new HSR station in Bandung will slow down Whoosh speed
Having more stations will lead to a longer overall travel time due to additional stops, experts warn.
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Passengers wait for a train for the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed rail service called 'Whoosh“ at Halim Station in Jakarta on Nov. 11, 2023. (Antara/Hreeloita Dharma Shanti)
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uilding a new high-speed rail (HSR) station in Bandung city, West Java, would dampen Whoosh’s operational speed, experts say, warning that this could result in a much longer travel time.
Indonesia Transportation Society (MTI) chairman Tory Damantoro said the mainstay of Whoosh was its speed, hence there would be a trade-off of potentially losing public interest in the service if the speed was reduced.
“Because more stations will be added, the overall travel time will increase due to the additional stops,” Tory told reporters on Wednesday.
Currently, Kereta Cepat Indonesia Cina (KCIC), a Sino-Indonesian consortium responsible for operating Whoosh, has not opened a stop in Bandung city despite the project being called the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed rail.
Passengers from Jakarta instead stop at Padalarang station in Bandung regency, where it takes between 30 and 40 minutes by car to reach Bandung city center’s landmark Gedung Sate or an hour by public transportation using a feeder train from Padalarang to Bandung station.
Meanwhile a new station has been proposed in Kopo subdistrict, which would cut the travel time to Gedung Sate slightly to a 25-minutes drive, while remaining an hour’s journey using public transportation to the same destination.
Read also: Yearender: Jakarta public transportation improves but many will still prefer cars
