TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The management of high-speed railway developer, PT Kereta Cepat Indonesia China (KCIC), talked about President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo’s wish to extend the route of the Jakarta-Bandung fast train to Surabaya. Corporate Secretary Mirza Soraya said the consortium was still waiting for the government’s assignment.

“Coordination meetings are still being held at the ministry level. We are waiting for the government. If we are ordered to extend it until Surabaya, we will carry it out. We are just the executor and operator. So the decision is on the shareholders,” said Mirza when met in Menteng, Central Jakarta, Thursday, June 3.

He explained that the feasibility study for the Jakarta-Surabaya high-speed railway project has not yet started. KCIC was still focusing on completing the Jakarta-Bandung railway construction which was targeted to be operated by the end of 2022.

However, KCIC would simultaneously conduct a study on the railway extension should there be a government’s task. The company would anticipate obstacles that have arisen during the construction of the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed rail project.

Coordinating Minister for the Economy Airlangga Hartarto in May last year said Jokowi had instructed the megaproject to be integrated until Surabaya. The extension plan which was aimed to integrate the modern connectivity project would be reviewed by the SOE Ministry.

The Jakarta-Bandung fast train was predicted to cut short the travel time between the capital city and Bandung of West Java from three hours to 40 minutes at a speed of 350 kilometers per hour.

Read: Jakarta-Bandung Fast Train Progress at 60%

FRANCISCA CHRISTY ROSANA | ANTARA