TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The State-Owned Enterprises (SOE) Ministry announced that it would set up a consortium to continue the Jakarta-Bandung train project. SOE Minister Rini Soemarno said that the project development has entered the negotiation stage.

“Since the project is to be developed under a business-to-business scheme, we will set up a consortium,” Rini said in Jakarta on Wednesday, September 9.

Due to a change of plan from high-speed train to medium-speed one, Rini said that the government was still looking at the cost for the project.

The medium-speed train is planned to pass five stations, namely Gambir and Manggarai in Jakarta, the Walini tea plantation area, and Kopo and Gedebage in Bandung. Rini revealed that the SOE Ministry would appoint PT Wijaya Karya and PT Adhi Karya as the contractors for the project.

Rini revealed that Walini tea plantation operator PT Perkebunan Nusantara VIII would contribute the largest fund for the project.

Earlier during the groundbreaking of the light rail transit project (LRT), President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo said that he wanted to integrate mass transportation modes in Jakarta, Bogor, Tangerang and Bekasi. Jokowi also wanted the railway projects in Sulawesi and Papua to kick off soon.

“I hope that the feasibility study for the train project in Papua would be complete in December,” Jokowi said.

ADITYA BUDIMAN