JAKARTA: The Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway (HSR), Indonesia’s and Southeast Asia’s first HSR, has handled over 1 million passenger trips since its official opening on October 17, according to China State Railway Group Co on Monday.
With the end of the year coming, Halim Station in Jakarta has been busy with people traveling the high-speed train, commonly known as “Whoosh,“ to Bandung, West Java, for vacation or family reunions.
The rapidly increasing passenger numbers have forced PT Kereta Cepat Indonesia-China (KCIC), a joint venture coalition of Indonesian and Chinese enterprises that builds and operates the HSR, to boost train services from 14 to 48 excursions per day.
The HSR, with a planned speed of 350 km/h, connects Jakarta’s Halim station to Tegalluar station in Bandung, Indonesia’s fourth biggest city, cutting the distance from more than three hours to roughly 40 minutes.
The railway, the first overseas high-speed railway project that entirely relies on Chinese railway systems, technology, and industrial components, has made Bandung more accessible from Jakarta, providing more options for travelers, commuters, and families living apart, as well as boosting local tourism and opening up new opportunities.
Better Ride
It was Anashtasyah Kaetlyn’s third journey with Whoosh, which she described as her favourite mode of transportation. She returns to Bandung every weekend as a Bandung resident who works in Jakarta.
“I’ve been taking this train home since it started running because it’s very fast and efficient.” “I dislike long journeys,“ she told Xinhua. She normally gets off at Padalarang Station in West Bandung Regency and rides her motorcycle or cab the last 10 minutes home.
Better Jobs
Desy Setiawati, 24, thought her life had transformed when she was picked from among hundreds of candidates to be one of the first HSR train attendants. “This is what my family and I are most proud of in 2023,“ she went on to say.
She began her new work as a high-speed rail attendant after two months of thorough theoretical instruction and actual operation on the train.
“I recall once assisting a wheelchair-bound passenger. “With the specially designed toilet on the train, the passenger said he felt well taken care of,“ she added, emphasizing that such moments are among the most memorable in her work.
Better Opportunities
Passengers like Nuraeni and Aziz discovered another advantage of taking the high-speed train: the ticket includes free admission to a number of well-known tourist attractions in Lembang, a city in West Bandung Regency that is home to several tourist attractions such as the Floating Market Lembang, Dusun Bambu, and Farmhouse.
The initiative, which began in October, intends to provide benefits to passengers while also boosting local tourism, according to Whoosh operator KCIC.
According to former West Java governor Ridwan Kamil, the Jakarta-Bandung HSR enhances transportation and has enormous potential for developing new possibilities.
He believes that the HSR will spur transit-oriented development, resulting in a new economy and more job prospects.
“We are designing a master plan for a new city with more buildings around the high-speed railway stations,“ says Kamil. “With new infrastructure being built and more investment coming, an increase of job opportunities will be given to the younger generations of West Java,“ Kamil told reporters.
Garibaldy Thohir, head of the China Committee of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, believes Whoosh has great potential because it combines “very friendly service from Indonesian people with very good Chinese technology.”
