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https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Transportation/Indonesia-presents-China-made-high-speed-train-cars?utm_campaign=GL_asia_daily&utm_medium=email&utm_source=NA_newsletter&utm_content=article_link&del_type=1&pub_date=20221004123000&seq_num=5&si=44594

 

Indonesia presents China-made high-speed train cars
Railway to connect Jakarta with Bandung; operations to start in June 2023

 

A total of 12 sets of eight-car trains, approximately 200 meters in length each, will be delivered in the future. 
KOYA JIBIKI, Nikkei staff writerOctober 3, 2022 21:48 JST

 

JAKARTA -- Indonesia has presented in public the cars of the country's first high-speed train connecting the capital Jakarta with Bandung, a major city in West Java, with commercial operations expected to start in June 2023.

 

The cars, presented to the media on Saturday, were manufactured by a company under China's state-owned train manufacturer CRRC. The covers on the cars were not removed throughout the event.

 

The cars arrived at the port of Tanjung Priok in Jakarta in early September. A total of 12 sets of eight-car trains, approximately 200 meters in length each, will be delivered in the future, including those for inspection 

According to Kereta Cepat Indonesia China (KCIC), an Indonesia-China joint venture for the high-speed rail project, the cars consist of VIP seats, first- and second-class seats, and a dining car.

 

With a maximum speed of 350 kilometers per hour, the new railway connects Jakarta and Bandung, a distance of about 142 km apart, in as little as 35 minutes, compared to 3.5 hours by the existing railway.

 

There is a plan for Indonesian President Joko Widodo and Chinese President Xi Jinping to take a ride together for a test operation of the new railway in November. Xi is scheduled to attend the Group of Twenty (G-20) Summit in Bali the same month, which Indonesia will chair.

 

Initially, Japan was considered a strong contender to win the order for Indonesia's high-speed railway project. However, Widodo adopted the Chinese proposal on condition that China would not require Indonesia to bear any financial burden.

 

Nevertheless, the completion of the project has been pushed back from the original target of 2018 due to delays in land expropriation and the COVID-19 pandemic. Construction is approximately 90% complete, and the railway is expected to open in June 2023.

 

The total construction cost exceeds the initial estimate of $5.5 billion. In October 2021, the Indonesian government reversed its previous plan and decided to invest government funds. The parliament is scrutinizing the amount of money needed.