TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Transportation Ministry has asked the China-Indonesia High Speed Train Consortium (KCIC) to accelerate the pace of land acquisition process around the site of the proposed high-speed train station near Halim Perdanakusumah station. The call was made after the Ministry received a complaint and request from the Indonesian Air Force (TNI-AU) to leave their land holdings untouched by the infrastructure project.
"They said - should there be no station around Halim?" said the Director General for Rail Transport for the Transport Ministry, Dwi Atmoko at his office in Jakarta on Monday, January 25, 2016.
It is known that the Ministry has approved the blueprint for the 142.4 km high-speed rail link between Jakarta and Bandung. The journey is expected to commence in Halim Perdanakusumah in East Jakarta, before concluding at the terminus in Tegalluar, Bandung regency. However, several complaints filed against the approved blueprint may potentially cause the blueprint to be scrapped - most notable of which are complaints filed by TNI-AU.
"We need to sort this out first before we proceed," said Hermanto.
Previously, TNI AU's Chief of Staff has rejected the proposal to use several plots of land in Halim's Trikora Complex, which will be used to construct the high speed train station - citing that Halim Perdanakusumah is a vital object that needs to be especially secured, considering its' primary use as a VIP airport and a national airforce base.
KHAIRUL ANAM
