Trans-Sulawesi Railway Project to Start Next Year
29 September 2014 11:02 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Director General of Railways of Ministry of Transportation Herman Dwi Atmoko said the construction of the first phase of the Trans-Sulawesi railway network will start next year.
"It will start in January 2015," Herman said during the anniversary of PT Kereta Api Indonesia in Bandung, Sunday, September 28, 2014.
Trans-Sulawesi railway, he said, has a length of 2,300 kilometers and the first phase will include the construction of railway connecting Makassar-Pare Pare, stretching 150 kilometers.
"The important thing is the track," he said.
According to him, the Makassar-Pare Pare railway is the first phase of the train Trans-Sulawesi railway and is scheduled to be completed in 2018. He added that the project is estimated to cost Rp10 trillion.
"Next year, we expect to finish half of it. The whole project is expected to be completed in three years," Herman said, adding that the Makassar-Pare Pare railway would prioritize transportation of goods.
Besides Sulawesi, Herman added, the government is also mulling constructing railways in Kalimantan. However, unlike in Sulawesi, the idea to construct railway in Kalimantan comes from the private sector.
AHMAD FIKRI