CHINA’S first high-speed railway started operating in 2008 between Beijing and Tianjin where it covered a modest 118 km.
Since then, the country has built a network that spans up to 42,000km and is now the world’s largest for bullet trains that can travel up to 350 km/h.
The network is getting bigger, with plans to extend it to 50,000km by 2025, and 200,000km by 2035.
Japan, in comparison, maintains a high-speed rail network of 2,830 km in 2023.
This impressive feat underscores that monumental achievements require time and dedication. In Southeast Asia (SEA), Indonesia has already launched its inaugural high-speed rail, connecting Jakarta to Bandung, covering 142.8 km with a remarkable maximum speed of 350 km/h.
Looking ahead, Indonesia aspires to expand its high-speed rail network, with projections exceeding 10,000 km in the next 15 years.
Currently, the country is conducting studies for the Bandung-Surabaya high-speed rail extension, anticipating a total length surpassing 700 km
