The high-speed rail project connecting Jakarta and Bandung, West Java faces permit and funding issues ahead of its mid-December launch.
The Transportation Ministry is currently reviewing permits and regulations related to the project and drafting technical standards for the high-speed train, according to Transportation Ministry director general for railways Hermanto Dwiatmoko.
“We will base some [standards] on the UIC,” he said. The technical standards will be used to evaluate the competence and efficiency of PT Kereta Cepat Indonesia China (KCIC) in constructing the high-speed train. KCIC has been chosen to build Indonesia’s first ever high-speed train at an estimated cost of US$5.5 billion.
The Transportation Ministry is reviewing proposals for railway track routes, which were submitted by KCIC. The ministry also needs to get a land-use permit from the regional administrations of Jakarta and West Java. The regional administrations are expected to offer recommendations for track routes by developing provincial spatial planning policies, but these recommendations might not be accepted by KCIC. The absence of a regional government recommendation has also put the brakes on the project launch.
Another issue faced by KCIC is acquiring from the ministry the necessary capital of at least Rp 1 trillion ($71.8 million) to get a permit to operate the facilities for the public inter-city train. KCIC president director Hanggoro Budi Wiryawan said that the firm was still looking for the funds from shareholders.
Share on:
