Minister Luhut B. Pandjaitan Conducts Trial Run of Jabodetabek LRT and Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Train

INTI,Tegalluar- Minister Luhut B. Pandjaitan, the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment, conducted a trial run of the Jabodetabek Light Rail Transit (LRT) and the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Train (JBHST) on Thursday.

"I experienced an extraordinary sensation of comfort and speed. The distance from Halim to Padalarang, covering 125 kilometers, was covered in just 25 minutes. This was followed by a feeder train to the city center of Bandung, taking an additional 20 minutes. Hence, the total travel time from Jakarta to Bandung using the JBHST is only 45 minutes," Minister Luhut stated to the media.

He emphasized that the comfort experienced during the trial run proves that the High-Speed Train is a smooth and seamless transportation option for travel from Jakarta to the city center of Bandung. During the event, Minister Luhut and his team experienced speeds of up to 350 km/h, which aligns with the designated speed regulations for the operation of the high-speed train in the future.

"In the future, there will be 68 trips per day with an average of 600 passengers per trip. I believe it will make people more comfortable to come here (using the JBHST). I would like to express my gratitude to Mr. Liu (Chairman of China Railway) who has extensive experience in China, having built 40,000 km of high-speed railways. They are truly advanced," he added.

Minister Luhut further explained that China Railway (CR) is willing to transfer technology to Indonesia. He attributed this to the support of the government's downstreaming program, which aims to produce high-speed train materials domestically.

"Safety is one of the crucial aspects we observed during this trial run. I believe it was safe. Regarding the infrastructure, there was no shaking, indicating that the tracks are constructed well. We also experienced the sound barrier, as we could converse normally inside," shared Minister of Transportation Budi Karya Sumadi regarding his experience during the trial run.

Minister Budi expressed his gratitude to Minister Luhut for his guidance and leadership throughout the project.

"The test results were excellent and met the expected standards. We will strive to complete this project as soon as possible. We also hope that through the collaboration between Indonesia and China, this project can set high standards and deliver good quality, benefiting the people and fostering Indonesia's economic and social development," stated Chairman of CR, Liu Zhenfang, elaborating on his experience riding the JBHST.

During the occasion, Minister Luhut and the delegation had the opportunity to meet with representatives of the workers involved in the construction of the JBHST.

"You have been working for approximately five years to bring this project to its final stage. I believe you have all overcome critical moments in this project, but with the excellent spirit and cooperation between the Indonesian and Chinese teams, I think you have done an outstanding job," he expressed.

He also conveyed that the Indonesian and Chinese teams, together with the KCIC team, had worked extraordinarily, leading to the finalization stage.

"I entrust all of you to complete our work excellently. And hopefully, on August 18, 2023, the President of the Republic of Indonesia can inaugurate this project," concluded Minister Luhut. ***.Hans