Indonesia’s First High Speed Line Begins Testing

Rendering of future high-speed rail station on the outskirts of Jakarta.

Indonesia’s First High Speed Line Begins Testing

Trial runs for Indonesia’s Jakarta to Bandung 220-mph high-speed line began this week. Service on the 88-mile corridor are expected to launch this August, making it the first high-speed train in Southeast Asia. Trains will be able to carry up to 601 passengers, with stops at four stations and making 68 trips per day. The shortest trip time will take about 36 minutes, a massive improvement from the current 3-hour long train trip.

The Jakarta to Bandung project is part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative. The project cost a little over $7 billion and is being built and operated by Kereta Cepat Indonesia China, a joint venture between China Railway International Co. Ltd and a consortium of Indonesian state companies. Financing for the project came from the China Development Bank and Indonesia’s state budget.

This project is part of a much larger effort to improve transit and intercity rail throughout Java island, the geographic and economic center of Indonesia. After this initial high-speed line launches, Indonesia plans to conduct a preliminary study for a Bandung to East Java high-speed corridor.

Wondering what this high-speed line would look like in America? One comparison is Philadelphia to New York City, which currently takes about 2 hours to drive, and 1 hour and 10 minutes on Amtrak’s Acela. Upgrading this corridor for 220-mph service would nearly cut the Acela’s trip time in half.

Read More:

Indonesian High Speed Railway to Begin Operations In August

Indonesia Tests First High-Speed Rail to Boost Jokowi Legacy (Bloomberg)

A Guide to the Future Fastest Train In Southeast Asia

Rendering of a modern EMU at South Station in Boston.
Rendering of a modern EMU at South Station in Boston. Photo: TransitMatters

6/30 Webinar: Regional Rail in Boston with TransitMattters

Come learn about TransitMatters’ advocacy for Regional Rail in Boston. They envision a new business model centered around transforming the region’s commuter rail network into a modern, electric network and fleet of vehicles to bring rapid-transit like frequent and reliable service to the entire Metro Boston region. This would be transformative for the region and their work is a good model for other commuter rail networks looking to make the switch to a Regional Rail system.

Speaker: Jarred Johnson, Executive Director, TransitMatters

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7/14 Webinar: Moving Towards Regional Rail with Metra

Please join us for a webinar with Metra to learn how they are moving towards a regional rail service model. This is an important strategic shift that was outlined in Metra’s latest Strategic Plan, “My Metra, Our Future.” At its core, the shift to regional rail means offering more frequent service throughout the day, which can meet the demand for trip types beyond just commuting. It’s a bold new vision for Metra and we are excited to learn more about their goals.

Speaker: David Kralik, AICP, Director of Planning and Programming, Metra.

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