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Jokowi kicks off construction of Bogor-Sukabumi double-track railway
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President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo (Antara/Rosa Panggabean)
P
resident Joko “Jokowi” Widodo attended on Friday the groundbreaking ceremony of the construction of a double-track railway connecting two cities in West Java -- Bogor and Sukabumi -- to expand the Greater Jakarta commuter train service.
Currently, the double-track railway from Jakarta stops in Bogor, while the Bogor-Sukabuwi route is served by only a single-track service.
The operation of the Bogor-Sukabumi double-track service will significantly decrease traffic congestion along the roads between the two cities, Jokowi said.
“Currently, the commuter train can only transport 3,000 people per day. When the project is complete, it will transport about 11,000 people,” said Jokowi in his remarks during the groundbreaking ceremony in Benda village, Sukabumi as reported by Antara.
Although the 30.5-kilometer railway project is targeted for completion in 2020, a 26-km section between Bogor and Cicurug is expected to be in operation in 2019.
Commenting on Greater Jakarta's traffic jam problems, Jokowi said that, before he became President, he had to travel for six hours to reach Sukabumi from Bogor. “How do the people here, who have to travel every day, [cope]?” he added.
In addition to the construction of the double-track railway, the government is also constructing a toll road -- the Bocini toll road -- from Ciawi, Bogor, to Sukabumi.
“The Bocini toll road is expected to be completed in October 2019. I have ordered the Public Works and Public Housing Minister [Basuki Hadimuljono] to instruct that workers work day and night,” he added. (bbn)
