Infrastructure in Indonesia: Update Jakarta-Surabaya Railway
The Indonesian government plans to show results of the prefeasibility study for the revitalization of the north coast railroad - that connects Jakarta and Surabaya on the island of Java - to Japan immediately after the study has been completed. Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, Indonesia's Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs, said the government is expecting to start discussing the project in early August 2017.
The prefeasibility study is being conducted by the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (in Indonesian: Badan Pengkajian dan Penerapan Teknologi, or BPPT) and the Directorate General of Railways (Jenderal Perkeretaapian). Pandjaitan said the government will wait for this study as well as for the initial reaction of Japan before departing to Japan, known for its expertise in terms of railway construction, to discuss the project in great detail.
Prasetyo Boeditjahjono, Railway Transportation Director General at Indonesia's Transportation Ministry, expects to be able to shed more light on the progress of the prefeasibility study for the revitalization of the semi high-speed railway link between the capital city of Jakarta and Indonesia's second-largest city Surabaya toward the end of the month. He added that several universities, including the University of Indonesia and Bandung Institute of Technology, have been consulted as well.
Details Jakarta-Surabaya Semi High-Speed Railway:
| Subject | Info |
| Length of Rail | 727 kilometer |
| Traveling Time | 5 hours (166 km/hour) 6 hours (135 km/hour) |
| Additional Infrastructure | Need for new underpasses and flyovers to limit the number of intersections where the railway line crosses roads |
Budi Karya Sumadi, Indonesia's Transportation Minister, earlier mentioned that he hopes the revitalization of the north coast railroad can be completed by 2020. He is optimistic that the project will not require ample amounts of time because it will mostly use the existing railway. Hence there is no need for land acquisition. Difficulties surrounding the land acquisition process usually cause a great delay for infrastructure projects in Indonesia.
Read also: Infrastructure Development in Indonesia
