TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The government has officially introduced the new name of the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed train as 'WHOOSH'. “It’s Whoosh,” said Triawan Munaf, Head of the fast train brand competition panel team as a representative of the SOE Ministry, in a press conference held virtually on Thursday, September 21, 2023.

Whoosh is also an acronym for Waktu Hemat, Operasi Optimal, Sistem Handal which literally translates to Save Time, Optimal Operation, Reliable System.

According to Triawan, President Joko Widodo or Jokowi and Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi kept mentioning 'Whoosh' when trying out the bullet train which in English means a quick move.

“Because we are looking for terms that can be accepted locally and globally,” Triawan said, adding that Japan has Shinkansen, while Indonesia has Whoosh.

The name will later be attached to the train, the interior of the train, including the station. “People already have the name now, not KCIC, not KCJB. So we’ll ride Whoosh to go everywhere, this will be a very appropriate name. Let's go to Bandung with Whoosh, or later to Surabaya,” Triawan said.

The government would then hold a competition for the design of the WHOOSH logo. At present, three logos are being considered.

Transportation Minister Budi Karya said the name would give the impression that KCJB is the fastest train in ASEAN. Laos also has a fast train, but the speed is still below 200 kilometers per hour. Meanwhile, he said that the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed train would operate at a speed of 350 kilometers per hour and even up to 380 kilometers per hour.

“The name and logo will be installed by October 1,” Budi Karya said.

MOH. KHORY ALFARIZI

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