Indonesia to launch China-funded high-speed rail

JAKARTA

Indonesia is set to launch Southeast Asia's first high-speed railway today, a delayed multibillion-dollar project backed by China that will cut travel between capital Jakarta and another major city by hours.

The Chinese-made bullet train named "Whoosh" is built to take more than 600 people to and from Jakarta and the Javan city of Bandung in 45 minutes and is part of China's Belt and Road infrastructure initiative.

President Joko Widodo has lauded the project for the fast ride it will provide between the two cities on Indonesia's most populous island Java, and he will inaugurate it today, according to local media reports, citing officials.

The train can reach speeds up to 350 kilometers per hour and has cost a joint Chinese-Indonesian venture more than $7 billion to build.

It was built by PT KCIC, which is made up of four Indonesian state companies and Beijing's China Railway International Co.

It was set to cost less than $5 billion and be built by 2019 but delays due to construction issues and the pandemic saw costs spike.

Authorities have been running public trials of the new high-speed journey of 142 kilometers before its opening.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang rode the train with senior Indonesian minister Luhut Pandjaitan this month on his visit to Jakarta for a series of summits with Southeast Asian leaders.

Pandjaitan told reporters on Thursday that Widodo plans to welcome Chinese President Xi Jinping in the future to ride the train, without providing further details.