Ambitious: The Jakarta-Bandung HSR is only the beginning. Jokowi’s grand plan is to improve connectivity on Java Island by extending the HSR network from Bandung to Surabaya. — Xinhua
THE subject of high-speed rail (HSR) continues to gain traction this year, following the long- awaited opening of the Jakarta-Bandung HSR services in Indonesia on Oct 2.
Stretching 143km between the Indonesian capital and Bandung, capital of Indonesia’s West Java province, the service – nicknamed Whoosh – has made a difference to how people move by offering an alternative to flights and a much slower intercity train with travel at an extremely competitive duration of 40 minutes.
This maiden high speed land connection between Indonesia’s first and third largest metropolitan areas – Greater Jakarta, with a population of 34 million, and Greater Bandung, with up to eight million people – is poised to open many possibilities for what is estimated to be the 16th largest economy in the world by nominal GDP.
As the world marvels at the Indonesian government’s resolve in putting in world-class infrastructure despite internal resistance and criticism, President Joko Widodo is reportedly insistent that the Jakarta-Bandung leg is only a prelude to the grand plan of improving connectivity in Java by extending the high-speed network by some 660km from Bandung to Surabaya to make an even greater impact on the republic.
Last year, Indonesia’s Tran-sport Minister Budi Karya Sumadi said there are plans to extend the HSR to Surabaya via Kertajati, Purwokerto, Yog-yakarta, Surakarta and Madiun to improve connectivity on Java Island, which contributes more than 55% of Indonesia’s GDP.
The southward extension of the Jakarta-Bandung HSR would cut land-based travel time from Jakarta to Surabaya, a distance of about 800km, from the current nine to 12 hours to no more than four hours (with trains averaging 200kph).
It goes without saying that the tremendous benefit of traversing between the two cities in a very short period of time can bring tremendous joy to those who travel regularly for work, as well as for those who want to make short sojourns over weekends without the hassle of making their way to airports.
The southward extension of the Jakarta-Bandung HSR, tagged as Whoosh, will cut travel time between Jakarta and Surabaya from nearly half a day to no more than four hours. — AFP
Efficient Thai-China rail connectivity growing by the day
Thailand is also displaying the same determination to improve both its cargo and passenger services.
The Thai Parliament approved proposals for five HSR lines to support speeds of up to 250kph to link its cities and growth centres, with the first one being the Bangkok to Nakhon Ratchasima line (over 253km), also known as Phase 1 of the Northeastern HSR, that is expected to be completed by 2026.
Phase 2 of the line, linking Nakhon Ratchasima to Nong Khai (over 355km), is due for completion in 2029, which will mark a significant transformation for rail travel from Thailand to China as Nong Khai is next to the Lao border.
For context, Laos has been connected by a rail line that carries both passengers and cargo to China since Dec 3, 2021.
Another long-awaited development is the Eastern HSR, which connects five eastern provinces starting from Bangkok and going to Samut Prakan, Chachoengsao, Chonburi, and Rayong.
The Don Mueang–Suvarna-bhumi–U-Tapao railway – officially known as the High-Speed Rail Linking Three Airports Project – is due to open in 2029 as a critical component of Thailand’s Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC).
Stretching 220km over the Don Mueang International Airport, Suvarnabhumi Airport, and U-Tapao International Airport, the Eastern HSR will link Bangkok with industrial and tourism hotspots in the eastern part of the kingdom.
In comments made to Bangkok Post on Jan 29 this year, Thai government spokesperson Tipanan Sirichana said apart from linking the three airports and serving as major infrastructure for the EEC, the Eastern HSR is intended to attract foreign investment and create about 100,000 jobs in the industrial sector.
“There will be smart cities along the rail route, which can be further connected with other parts of the Asean region,” she was quoted as saying.
Thailand’s EEC envisages the “completion of ready-to-implement regional development models that will help drive economic development and Thai society to the level of a developed country in accordance with the Thailand 4.0 policy”.
On its website, it said it aims to “develop an integrated infrastructure system that is efficient, reliable, and accessible to all”, among five other missions, such as to determine the optimal use of land in accordance with the area’s potential and sustainable development principles, leverage collective new technologies to generate more income and promote better quality of life, and formulate EEC into a best-in-class, area-based development for Thailand’s future development, among others.
According to the EEC Office of Thailand, the HSR project linking the three airports is a collaborative investment project between the government and the private sector, also known as a public-private partnership (PPP).
“Total investment expenditure combines to 258bil baht (nearly RM34bil), with the government footing 61% of the bill, and the private sector the rest.
“The project will serve as a way to fundamentally improve the EEC, and attract further investment internationally and domestically. Altogether, the project is expected to contribute 650bil baht (RM87bil) to the economy and will be responsible for creating 16,000 jobs directly as well as 100,000 jobs in adjacent sectors. At the end of the concession period, all assets will be transferred to the state,” said EEC Office on its website.
The EEC Office is the public agency aiming to encourage investment, uplift innovation, and advance technology in Thailand by acting as a business facilitator to add value across the entire project lifecycle; it coordinates closely with other public authorities and the private sector to ensure success.
Rail a critical factor in regional growth and development
In Malaysia, plans for its maiden HSR is led by MyHSR Corporation Sdn Bhd (MyHSR Corp), a special purpose vehicle under the Finance Ministry.
In its original proposal, the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore HSR spanned 350km from Bandar Malaysia to Singapore’s Jurong East, with the last Malaysian stop at Johor’s Iskandar Puteri.
Mohd Nur Ismal: ‘Efficient rail, coupled with an equally good network of public transport options, is the way to go if we are serious about decarbonising.’ — MUHAMAD SHAHRIL ROSLI/The Star
According to its CEO, Datuk Mohd Nur Ismal Kamal, it has been proven over and over elsewhere that HSR has managed to bring positive transformation to economies and regional landscapes through its ability to save a lot of time when mobility is required and enhance accessibility to second and third-tier cities.
“From Europe to China, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, HSR networks have brought everyone and everything closer through agglomeration to catalyse growth and prosperity for many,” he tells Sunday Star.
And in the era of climate change, taking short and medium haul flights should not be the preferred travel option due to the high amount of emissions generated from aviation.
“Efficient rail, coupled with an equally good network of public transport options, is the way to go if we are serious about decarbonising,” he says.
Observers note that HSR also has an important role to play in distributing growth and development, one of the foundations of the *Madani Economy promulgated by the unity government under Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Briefly, MyHSR Corp has already drafted a HSR Socioeconomic Development Plan (SEDP) to maximise economic benefits for Malaysia arising from the HSR project, and to ensure that the benefits occur early and deliver equitable benefits to local communities.
“It is a new approach that takes a holistic view of development across all destinations to maximise benefits and ensure a positive and sustainable outcome for all.
“Supporting this, the SEDP provides potential for land monetisation to fund HSR infrastructure investment to reduce the future national debt burden, among many others,” says Mohd Nur.
MyHSR Corp is currently awaiting proposals from the private sector to ensure this transformative project can take off, with the submission deadline standing at Jan 15, 2024.
*Madani is an acronym for the Malaysian government’s over-arching policy that embraces six core values: keMampanan (sustainability), KesejAhteraan (prosperity), Daya cipta (innovation), hormAt (respect), keyakiNan (trust) and Ihsan (compassion).
