JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – China began to ship a total of 11 sets of bullet trains and an inspection train to Indonesia on Friday, Aug. 5.
The high-speed electric multiple units (EMUs) and the comprehensive inspection train (CIT) are built for the 142-kilometer high-speed railway network linking the Jakarta capital and the neighboring city of Bandung in West Java.
The bullet train which operates at the speed of 350 km per hour is expected to reduce the travel time between the two cities from about three hours to 45 minutes.
The trains also underwent both static and dynamic tests at the production site in Qingdao, East China’s Shandong Province before the delivery.
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Dwiyana Slamet Riyadi, president director of PT Kereta Cepat Indonesia-China (KCIC), a joint venture between Chinese and Indonesian companies, said that the inaugural delivery of the EMUs and CIT marked a historic moment.
“This is the first overseas delivery of the Chinese high-speed trains from China,” said Dwiyana in a televised message.
He said that the bullet trains and the inspection train were shipped from a China port to Tanjung Priok in Jakarta. The trains will also be sent to the designated station of the project.
The progress of the project has reached 85 percent. The remaining works comprise the construction of Tunnel 2, track laying, and completion of the train stations.
The delivery of the high-speed trains to Indonesia will become a special gift for the country when celebrating its 77th Independence Day on Aug. 17. “Besides, it will also be an important milestone for the high-speed railway project in general,” said Dwiyana.
(Writer: Muhdany Yusuf Laksono | Editor: Muhdany Yusuf Laksono)
