Lenny Tristia Tambun, Bandung – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo reviewed the progress of the construction of the Jakarta-Bandung Fast Train (KCJB) project during his working visit to West Java on Thursday.

Jokowi hopes that the KCJB project, which has reached 88.8 percent completion, can increase mobility and competitiveness and promote new economic growth centers.

"We hope that with the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed train, the mobility of people and goods can be fast and increase," Jokowi said on the sidelines of his visit to Tegalluar Station, a KCJB's final station in Bandung district.

"That way, our competitiveness will also be stronger. There will be new points of economic growth in Jakarta, Bandung, then in the [Bandung] district," he said.

The president said he hoped that the first fast train project in Southeast Asia would be integrated with the future transportation networks in the region to increase its connectivity and competitiveness.

"It has become a big idea in Asean so that connectivity between Asean countries is connected as quickly as possible in the context of Asean competitiveness," Jokowi said.

Jokowi also emphasized that the KCJB project is a collaboration between the Indonesian and Chinese governments. Although there were problems in constructing several tunnels, the president targets the project to start operating in June.

"The launch will be, God willing, in June 2023," Jokowi said.

Also attending the event were Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, Minister of State-Owned Enterprises Erick Thohir, Minister of Transportation Budi Karya Sumadi, Governor of West Java Ridwan Kamil, the Head of Bandung District Dadang Supriatna, President Director of Kereta Cepat Indonesia China (KCIC) Dwiyana Slamet Riyadi, and the Ambassador of the People's Republic of China for Indonesia Lu Kang.

Indonesia plans to conduct a test run for the fast train next month, with China's President Xi Jinping scheduled to attend.

Source: https://jakartaglobe.id/business/highspeed-rail-project-888-complete-to-start-operation-in-june-202