TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan said he had formed a team to work on the Jakarta-Surabaya high-speed rail (HSR) project. Several transportation observers also commented on the extended project of the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed train.

Deddy Herlambang, a transportation observer from the Indonesian Transportation Society (MTI), assessed that the new bullet train connecting Jakarta and Surabaya in Central Java will be more lucrative than the existing one serving the Jakarta-Bandung route.

This is because the high-speed train should traverse a considerable distance of at least 800 kilometers. “Instead of just 147 kilometers from Halim-Tegalluar (Jakarta-Bandung HSR),” Deddy told Tempo on Wednesday, April 24.

According to him, the country would incur losses by building a high-speed train that would cover a distance of less than 800 kilometers, considering the cost. “The train's travel distance of 100 to 200 kilometers, such as [from Jakarta] to Bandung, are more suited for car users or travel agency users via toll roads,” he added.

With such a short distance, it would be challenging to achieve the occupancy targets of the Jakarta-Bandung HSR, popularly known as Whoosh.

Additionally, Deddy opined that high-speed trains are not ideal for trips spanning 400 to 500 kilometers, as they could disrupt the market for intercity/interprovincial buses or AKAP users.

Moreover, he suggested that extending the bullet train project to Surabaya could ease air traffic congestion. “We need to reduce the current heavy air traffic between Jakarta and Surabaya,” he said.

Regarding the financing of the Jakarta-Surabaya high-speed rail project, Deddy said that government capital injection or PMN is still necessary as the project will not yield profit for at least 30 years after its operation.

NOVALI PANJI NUGROHO

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