The Jakarta-Bandung Fast Train, a Symbol of Indonesia's Transportation Transformation
After waiting 15 years since it was first initiated in 2008, Indonesia will finally feel the presence of fast train services in the second half of this year.
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The following article was translated using both Microsoft Azure Open AI and Google Translation AI. The original article can be found in Kereta Cepat Jakarta-Bandung, Simbol Transformasi Transportasi Indonesia
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The test run of the high-speed train from Tegalluar Station to Padalarang Station in Bandung, West Java, took place on Friday (8/4/2023).
With the operation of Jakarta-Bandung Fast Train service, Indonesia will enter the ranks of a handful of countries that have rail-based transportation with the latest technology. . The presence of this fast train is expected to encourage the transformation of public transportation services more broadly throughout Indonesia.
After waiting for 15 years since it was first proposed in 2008, Indonesia will finally soon experience the presence of high-speed train services in the second half of this year. The arrival of this high-tech transportation service is welcomed enthusiastically by most of the people. Nevertheless, there are also many who still doubt the effectiveness and operational readiness of this advanced transportation mode.
It cannot be denied that the process of the emergence of high-speed trains in Indonesia has been accompanied by a number of controversies, ranging from the large amount of money spent, the use of the state budget to cover cost overruns, to several work accidents that have claimed the lives of workers.
Even so, the government's success in bringing high-speed trains to Indonesia remains an achievement that deserves appreciation. This is because the Jakarta-Bandung High Speed Train (KCJB) is the first and only fast train service in the Southeast Asia region. Not only that, the KCIC400AF train operated in Indonesia is one of the fastest train types in the world until now. The train, which is a variant of the CR400AF from China's CRRC Qingdao Sifang manufacturer, is capable of reaching a maximum operational speed of up to 350 kilometers per hour. The only other country that has trains with the same operational speed is China, which is none other than the country of origin of the KCIC400AF.
Also read: Rapid Train and Jabodebek LRT Symbol of Indonesia's Progress
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The landscape of the Indonesia China High-Speed Railway (KCIC) depot in Tegalluar, Cileunyi, Bandung Regency, West Java, was revealed on Friday (4/8/2023).
In addition to being the first and only one in the surrounding area, the presence of high-speed trains also makes Indonesia part of a handful of countries in the world that have advanced transportation services. According to data from the International Union of Railways (UIC), until 2022 there are only 20 countries that have high-speed train services. This number only covers 10.3 percent of the total 195 countries recognized by the UN.
Of the twenty countries, Japan is the pioneer. He began to develop the Shinkansen high-speed train service in 1959 and inaugurated it in 1964. The Shinkansen did not only offer speed, but also increased the efficiency and effectiveness of rail services to a level that had never been done by other countries. A number of groundbreaking innovations that accompanied the birth of the Shinkansen were the automatic train control (ATC) and centralized traffic control (CTC) systems.
Superior
With such breakthrough, Japan has proven that a train service which is optimized can become a massive, dependable, affordable, and fast means of transportation. The success of the "Land of the Rising Sun" has ultimately become an inspiration for several other countries to compete in creating their own high-speed train services.
The spirit finally drives the presence of high-speed train services along a total of 58,840 km spread across 20 countries in the world. Of this number, 68.8 percent of them are in China. This shows how great the commitment of the "Bamboo Curtain Country" is in investing in high-speed train services. However, China is considered a newcomer to the development of high-speed train technology as it only began in 2008. This means that by 2022, China will build an average of 2,891 km of high-speed rail lines every year.
This achievement is a record that cannot be surpassed by any country until now. The seriousness of China and several other countries in investing in high-speed rail transportation is certainly based on strong reasons. According to the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), high-speed rail services are said to boost economic activity. It is also said that every one US dollar invested can bring economic benefits of up to 4 US dollars. This is based on the continuing impact of connecting economic centers more efficiently and productively.
In addition, another important benefit of the presence of high-speed trains is that it can reduce traffic congestion and congestion on roads. For example, in China, with such massive high-speed train services, by 2022 China is able to transport around 1.5 billion passengers or equivalent to 4.2 million passengers per day.
Also read: Not an Instant Economy of Speed Train and LRT
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The trial of a high-speed train from Tegalluar Station to Padalarang Station, located in Bandung, West Java, is set to take place on Friday (4/8/2023).
If those passengers were using cars with a capacity of four passengers, then China's high-speed train has reduced the number of car movements by around 1 million journeys per day. Another advantage that also becomes a superiority of high-speed trains is time efficiency and fuel efficiency. UIC stated that high-speed train services can save fuel four times more than private vehicles and nearly nine times more than airplanes.
Then, based on calculations from the US High Speed Rail Association, high-speed trains have proven to be 2.3 times faster in transporting people from downtown San Francisco to downtown Los Angeles compared to using cars. The time efficiency of high-speed trains is also superior to airplanes for the same distance, which is 1.6 times faster.
Challenge
Although bringing a myriad of benefits and having many advantages, providing high-speed train services is still not an easy matter. This is because high-speed train services are not only about providing trains, tracks, and stations, but also building a comprehensive and integrated system.
One of the things that needs to be started is by providing highly skilled, disciplined, and trained human resources. Operating trains at high speeds requires accuracy based on disciplinary values. If not, it will actually pose a safety threat to users of the high-speed train service.
Also read: Proper Integration on Fast Trains
The face of the Halim Station area in East Jakarta, Saturday (12/8/2023). This station is one of four stations for the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway.
In addition, integration with other modes of transportation systems also needs to be considered so that the presence of high-speed trains can be optimally beneficial. Without integration, passengers may be able to transfer between high-speed train stations in minutes, but it may take hours to reach their destination. This clearly reduces the potential effectiveness of time and economic benefits that can be obtained for high-speed train passengers.
Another obstacle that may be a consideration for many countries is the high cost involved. In order to realize the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Rail (KCJB), PT Kereta Cepat Indonesia China and the Indonesian government must spend 7.27 billion US dollars, or approximately IDR 108.14 trillion. If divided by the length of the track, each kilometer of the KCJB track requires an investment of around IDR 758 billion. This amount is clearly higher compared to the cost of building a toll road, which is only IDR 90-110 billion per kilometer.
The amount of investment spent on the development of the high-speed train shows that the Indonesian government has a bias towards developing public transportation services that are increasingly effective and advanced. The presence of KCJB and all its supporting infrastructure is expected to become a catalyst for the creation of high-quality, reliable, and safe public transportation reforms in Indonesia.
