JAKARTA: Work is slated to begin next month on a nationwide project to expand railway electrification in Indonesia, with routes extending from Jakarta to the neighbouring provinces of Banten and West Java.
State asset fund Danantara chief operating officer Dony Oskaria revealed that the project would break ground on May 20, beginning with routes from Jakarta to Cikampek, Sukabumi in West Java and to Cilegon in Banten.
Dony said railway electrification was aimed at supporting the development of new cities along the routes, reducing pollution and enhancing efficiency in transportation.
“Implementing electrification will reduce urbanisation (pressures),” he said on Tuesday, as quoted by news agency Antara.
Dony, who is also the head of the state-owned enterprises regulatory agency, added that electrification had become a key performance indicator for railway operators, alongside safety measures.
The project was unveiled in October last year through a business-to-business agreement between railway operator PT Kereta Api Indonesia (Kai) and electricity company PLN, both state-owned companies.
It has been hailed as a key initiative to accelerate railway electrification and improve efficiency and reliability, as well as contribute to the goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2060.
Kai president director Bobby Rasyidin said the partnership would enhance comfort and services for passengers and offered an opportunity to expand the country’s electric railway network into new regions.
A deadly train crash on Monday had marred Indonesia’s railway transportation system.
It renewed concerns over the safety of railway infrastructure.
The incident took place in the evening, triggered by a separate incident involving a commuter train from Cikarang, West Java, heading towards Bekasi, that hit a stalled electric taxi at an unguarded level crossing near East Bekasi Station.
The taxi driver managed to safely evacuate from the car, but the incident halted another commuter train heading to Cikarang on a separate track inside the station.
At around 8.55pm, the Argo Bromo Anggrek intercity train travelling from Jakarta to Surabaya, East Jakarta, smashed into the stationary commuter train’s rear carriage.
As of Tuesday evening, at least 15 people were confirmed killed in the incident, while 88 others sustained injuries.
Transportation experts previously called for greater investment in railway infrastructure maintenance after a series of derailments occurred in August last year.
Indonesia saw an average of three to four derailments per year between 2007 and 2003, according to the National Transportation Safety Committee.
Experts have warned that without serious reforms and budget increases, the number of derailments may rise.
For years, Kai has relied on annual allocations from the Transportation Ministry to fund its routine inspections and maintenance, but these funds have proven insufficient.
The company first received infrastructure, maintenance and operations funds from the ministry’s directorate general for railway services in 2015. — The Jakarta Post/ANN
