One Year of Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Rail
The first anniversary celebration of the operation of the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway was held on October 17 in Jakarta, Indonesia.
In October 2023, the President Xi Jinping and President Joko Widodo jointly inaugurated the official operation of the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway. As a flagship project of China-Indonesia cooperation under the "Belt and Road" initiative, which was personally cared for and promoted by the leaders of the two countries, the sustainable operation of the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway over the past year has improved the lives of local people and benefited the Indonesian people.
Since its operation one year ago, the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway has shown a strong growth trend in passenger flow, with a total of 5.79 million passengers sent, and the single-day passenger occupancy rate reached as high as 99.6%. The high-speed train has safely operated for more than 2.57 million kilometers. Indonesian Minister of Transportation Budi said at the first anniversary celebration that the smooth operation of the high-speed railway has won the high recognition and appreciation of the Indonesian people. "This high-speed railway has written a new chapter in the modernization of Indonesia's infrastructure."
One end of the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway is Indonesia's political and economic center - Jakarta, the capital with a population of tens of millions, and the other end is Bandung, the fourth largest city in Indonesia and the capital of West Java Province. Its beautiful natural scenery attracts many tourists. As the first high-speed railway in Indonesia and even the entire Southeast Asia, the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway is not only a modern transportation artery connecting the two cities but also has a huge radiation and driving effect on the development of the areas along the line, pressing the "fast-forward button" for the economic development of the areas along the line.
Official statistics from Indonesia show that the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway project contributed nearly $6 billion to the Gross Domestic Product of the Jakarta Special District and West Java Province between 2019 and 2023.
Starting from Halim Station, it takes about 15 minutes to reach Karawang Station, which is surrounded by many well-known industrial parks, covering fields such as automobile manufacturing, electronic products, and home appliance production, and is an important pillar of Indonesia's industrial development. About 10 kilometers away from Karawang Station, there are more than 50 well-known enterprises from China, the United States, New Zealand, Finland, and other countries and regions gathered in the China-Indonesia Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone.
The road traffic from Jakarta to the park has always been very congested, which has a great impact on the logistics and transportation efficiency of the park's enterprises. After the opening of the station, it greatly alleviates the pressure of transportation, facilitates the commute of staff, and makes the connection between the park and Jakarta, surrounding ports, and airports more convenient and smooth, significantly reducing the cost of time, fuel expenditure, and environmental pollution.
The Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway has also strongly driven the local tourism industry to usher in a new round of growth. The latest data shows that over the past year, more than 330,000 foreign passengers from 159 countries and regions have taken the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway; in May of this year, the number of tourists in West Java Province increased by 94.84% month-on-month; the number of tourists going to Bandung this year increased by about 10%-15%.
Over the past year since its opening, the Chinese side has actively promoted the sustainable operation of the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway, providing comprehensive guarantees in terms of technical support, equipment maintenance, and personnel training. The Chinese side and the Indonesian side have jointly established a management team to train 600 local Indonesian personnel in 23 positions such as high-speed railway drivers and multiple unit mechanics.
The Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway not only fills the gap in the field of high-speed rail in Indonesia but also sets a benchmark for the Southeast Asian region, showing the development potential that can be released by promoting regional connectivity. It is expected that the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway will bring more convenience and greater benefits to Indonesia and ASEAN in the future.
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