Jokowi to Board the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Train in a Trial in September

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Coordinating Minister for Maritime and Investment Affairs Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan said that President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo is set to board the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Train (KCJB) in a trial on September 8, 2023.

Luhut mentioned that he himself will try the high-speed rail for the second time on September 6, 2023. "On September 6, accompanied by Ridwan Kamil, will board [KCJB] from Jakarta to Bandung," he said on Tuesday, August 29, 2023.

After the soft launch on September 8, President Jokowi will give opportunities to the general public, especially the residents of the areas adjacent to the railways, to try the high-speed train in a trial free of charge. According to Luhut, the trial will be held for a month.

"Since it's a trial, for the whole month, [the operation] will be free of charge," Luhut said.

Luhut remarked that the preparation for KCJB has been excellent. "I believe KCJB is an extraordinary achievement since people thought [the operation] would fail, but in reality [KCJB] is ready to operate," he said.

Luhut also compared the trial to LRT's trial. "For LRT's trial, people are charged Rp5,000 for the tickets, but we hope LRT's services could reduce the [use of private] cars issues in Jakarta," he added.

The KCJB project, Luhut mentioned, will be extended to Surabaya with the Jakarta-Surabaya High-Speed Train. The president has instructed a study to be conducted to analyze the need to extend the high-speed train.

AHMAD FIKRI

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