Govt Awaits Rapid Train Proposal From Japan : Minister

JAKARTA, Oct 12 (Antara) - Minister of Transportation Budi Karya Sumadi said the government is awaiting a proposal for the Jakarta-Surabaya rapid train project before a decision on infrastructure development can be made. "We have asked the representatives from Japan to submit some form of proposal that includes work details, goals, and time frame," stated the minister of the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs offices in Jakarta, Tuesday. He further explained that the government had offered the connectivity project to Japan as the outcome of his discussion with Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Luhut Binsar Panjaitan, following a meeting with Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The Japanese government, he added, is currently compiling a rapid train proposal that will cover all the technical details of the project, including the use of rails and the type of train they will use. "The proposal will mention things in detail, such as using the existing rails and getting rid of the trajectory plots, which is the most rational option, or replacing them with a whole new system. That is what we are waiting to get our hands on," he remarked. The minister hoped that once the proposal was ready, a feasibility study on the Jakarta-Surabaya rapid train project could be conducted, with the development process commencing in the next four years. "The study should take two to three months, and the Japanese government will also participate. After the study, we can then proceed to the planning phase, and the development could take three to four years," he said. Panjaitan had previously expressed his expectation that the rapid train project would be administered by Japan. "We have delivered an official letter to the Japanese government, asking them to take on the project. Personally, I am confident that Japan's technology is suitable for this project," he noted. During a trip to Japan on Oct. 6, the minister met with Prime Minister Abe as well as Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Keiichi Isii, Deputy Foreign Minister Shinsuke Sugiyama, and a number of young members of the Japan-Indonesia Parliamentary League. He explained that the rapid train would shorten the travel time between Jakarta and Surabaya to a mere 3.5 hours, as the train runs at 180 to 200 kilometers per hour. "The track will be a double rail, which also opens up the opportunity for it to be used to support the operation of a dry port container transport between Jakarta, Semarang and Surabaya," he remarked.