First Chinese-made high-speed train cars arrive in Indonesia

Sep 1, 2022, 6:54 PM | Updated: Sep 2, 2022, 6:58 am

Workers unload a part of Chinese-made high-speed passenger train from a cargo ship at Tanjung Priok Port in Jakarta, Indonesia, Friday, Sept. 2, 2022. The first high-speed electric train which is prepared for the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway arrived in the capital city on Friday.(AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)

(AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)

Workers and officials watch as a part of Chinese-made high-speed passenger train is placed onto a truck at Tanjung Priok Port in Jakarta, Indonesia, Friday, Sept. 2, 2022. The first high-speed electric train which is prepared for the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway arrived in the capital city on Friday. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)

Workers use crane to unload part of Chinese-made high-speed passenger train from a cargo ship at Tanjung Priok Port in Jakarta, Indonesia, Friday, Sept. 2, 2022. The first high-speed electric train which is prepared for the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway arrived in the capital city on Friday. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)

Workers secure an electric multiple unit, part of Chinese-made high-speed passenger train, onto a truck at Tanjung Priok Port in Jakarta, Indonesia, Friday, Sept. 2, 2022. The first high-speed electric train which is prepared for the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway arrived in the capital city on Friday. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)

Workers position a part of Chinese-made high-speed passenger train onto a truck at Tanjung Priok Port in Jakarta, Indonesia, Friday, Sept. 2, 2022. The first high-speed electric train which is prepared for the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway arrived in the capital city on Friday.(AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)

Security personnel stand guard as workers position a part of Chinese-made high-speed passenger train onto a truck at Tanjung Priok Port in Jakarta, Indonesia, Friday, Sept. 2, 2022. The first high-speed electric train which is prepared for the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway arrived in the capital city on Friday. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)

Workers lower an electric multiple unit, part of Chinese-made high-speed passenger train, onto a truck at Tanjung Priok Port in Jakarta, Indonesia, Friday, Sept. 2, 2022. The first high-speed electric train which is prepared for the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway arrived in the capital city on Friday. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)

BY ASSOCIATED PRESS

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — An initial set of Chinese-made train cars for Indonesia’s first high-speed railway arrived in Jakarta’s port on Friday.

The 142.3-kilometer (88.4-mile) railway worth $5.5 billion is being constructed by PT Kereta Cepat Indonesia-China, a joint venture between an Indonesian consortium of four state-owned companies and China Railway International Co. Ltd. The joint venture says the trains will be the fastest in Southeast Asia.

The railway line, which connects Jakarta and Bandung, a city in West Java province, is part of China’s Belt and Road infrastructure initiative. It is expected to cut travel time between the two cities from the current three hours to about 40 minutes.

The eight train cars and an inspection train that arrived Friday were designed and built by CRRC Qingdao Sifang Co. Ltd.

“The arrival of this series of high-speed trains is good news for Indonesia and shows that Indonesia can compete with other developed countries,” said Kartika Wijoatmojo, the deputy minister of State-Owned Enterprises.

Construction began in January 2016 of the Jakarta-Bandung line, which was planned as part of a 750-kilometer (465-mile) high-speed train project that would cut across four provinces on the main island of Java.

The rail deal was signed in October 2015 after Indonesia selected China over Japan in competitive bidding. China agreed to complete the railway without using Indonesian government money or requiring a government guarantee for loans.

The rail line was expected to begin operations in early 2019, but was delayed because of land acquisition and funding problems.

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