Passengers take a groufie before taking a joyous ride on the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway during the start of its commercial operation in Jakarta, Oct 17, 2023. (EDMOND TANG / CHINA DAILY)
JAKARTA/BANDUNG, Indonesia - The Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway (HSR) welcomed its first batch of passengers on Tuesday as it began commercial operation two weeks after its inauguration on Oct 2.
At 4:35 pm local time, train G1137 drove off the platform of Halim station in east Jakarta. Sascha Peter, a Dutch tourist who has been enjoying his vacation in Indonesia, said he decided to take a ride as he heard about the HSR from a friend, and he hoped for a great experience.
Stretching from Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, to the country’s fourth largest city Bandung, the railway with a length of 142.3 kilometers is the first high-speed rail service in Southeast Asia
Stretching from Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, to the country’s fourth largest city Bandung, the railway with a length of 142.3 kilometers is the first high-speed rail service in Southeast Asia.
It is designed to run at the speed of 350 km/h, cutting travel time between the two cities to around 45 minutes from over three hours.
ALSO READ: Whoosh: A joyous ride
“It's extraordinary. I feel very excited because it is the best train I’ve ever experienced in Indonesia. We have never had a train like this speed train,” said Nalendra Yusa, who was on the train and told China Daily he usually visits Bandung once a week. “I hope it can be better and better.”
“If we compare to the existing train in Indonesia, I think the ticket price is very competitive with the value you get … You can get to Bandung with a very quick time and a comfortable seat,” praised Dian Novia Indirianti, another Indonesian passenger.
As a landmark China-Indonesia cooperation project under the Belt and Road Initiatives, the HSR is the first overseas high-speed railway project that fully uses Chinese railway systems, technology, and industrial components.
“The technology is cutting-edge, and we work closely with the Chinese government...We work together on construction, operation, and maintenance,” said Dwiyana Slamet Riyadi, president-director of the railway’s operator PT Kereta Cepat Indonesia-China, during an earlier interview with China Daily.
READ MORE: Indonesia's Widodo inaugurates Jakarta-Bandung high-speed rail
“This collaboration exemplifies the friendship that has existed between Indonesia and China, and we hope that other collaborations will occur in the future,” he added.
Liu Xiaohan contributed to the story.
