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Govt mulls HSR extension to Yogyakarta before connecting Surabaya
High-speed railway (HSR) consortium Kereta Cepat Indonesia China (KCIC) said that extending the line to Yogyakarta first may be more feasible than linking it directly to Surabaya in East Java.
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Passengers wait for a Whoosh high-speed railway (HSR) train from Jakarta to Bandung on Nov. 11, 2023, at Halim Station in Jakarta. (Antara/Hreeloita Dharma Shanti)
H
igh-speed railway (HSR) consortium Kereta Cepat Indonesia China (KCIC) is considering an extension of the country’s Whoosh HSR to Yogyakarta before connecting it to Surabaya in East Java.
No extension has been agreed on for the railway that currently connects Jakarta with the West Java capital of Bandung, but several analysts have opined that a longer route to Surabaya would improve the project’s financials.
Doing so in a two-phase approach may be more feasible, according to KCIC.
KCIC president director Dwiyana Slamet Riyadi said he was in the middle of discussing the plan with the relevant government institutions, including the Transportation Ministry and the Office of the Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister.
“It’s possible to build the track to Yogyakarta first. If you’re going straight to Surabaya, the problem lies with the time and cost,” Dwiyana was quoted as saying by Bisnis on Thursday.
He refused to divulge details on the possible route to Surabaya, suggesting that speculators may otherwise ramp up land prices, and said a properly conducted feasibility study would be carried out prior to laying any tracks.
“We have a lot of experience from the Jakarta-Bandung HSR. The result is supposed to be better if an extension to Yogyakarta and Surabaya [is completed],” he said.
