Indonesia Expects Autonomous Rail Transit Trial in New Capital Nusantara This August

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian Minister of Transportation Budi Karya Sumadi said that the government aims to conduct the trial of the Autonomous Rail Transit (ART) in the new capital city Nusantara or IKN in North Penajam Paser, East Kalimantan in August 2024.

“We hope to have a trial in August,” Budi said at the Jakarta Convention Center on Tuesday, May 28. The series of trains would be imported from China. 

He revealed that the autonomous train project at IKN would not be financed through the State Budget (APBN). He also could not yet confirm when this transportation project will be commercialized to the public.

Previously, Minister of Public Works and Housing (PUPR) Basuki Hadimuljono denied that plans to test the ART at IKN would be carried out in July 2024. He claimed that the train project was the Transportation Ministry’s project. However, the PUPR Ministry has not yet prepared the infrastructure for this advanced mode of transportation. 

“No [trial in July 2024]. There's no final design from the Transportation Minister regarding the autonomous train,” Basuki said at the IKN Central Government Core Area (KIPP) on Monday, May 6.

Nevertheless, Basuki said that autonomous rail transit would indeed be implemented in Nusantara. The transportation infrastructure will be operated using sensors installed along the western and eastern sides of Jalan Sumbu Kebangsaan.

NOVALI PANJI | RIRI RAHAYU

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