Director-General of Railways at the Ministry of Transportation Zulfikri, has confirmed that the government will collaborate with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in the construction of a Jakarta-Surabaya semi fast train.
The construction will commence by the end of 2023.
“We will sign the Memorandum or Understanding next week,” Zulfikri said. The government is currently in the process of negotiating the technical points of the agreement, which include the construction of existing railways, local content divisions, regulations on the closure of railway crossings, and financial schemes.
The government and investors will conduct a feasibility study to prepare the design and clear the lands. Currently, the amount of investment needed for the high-speed train construction is still being calculated. The most expensive part will be the railway construction from Jakarta or Surabaya, as there are 1,992 railway roads across both cities. Flyovers will also be built in 400 areas.
The semi-fast train is set to cut off the travelling time to 5.5 hours, as compared to the regular train. The semi-fast train speed is expected to be at 160 kilometers per hour.
Source: Tempo
Image: IDN Times