High Speed Railway to Boost Economic Growth: Minister

President Jokowi has a conversation with Cabinet Ministers at Padalarang Station, Bandung, West Java, Monday (10/02). Photo by: PR of Cabinet Secretariat/Rahmat.

The Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway will bring benefits to the communities in terms of new job opportunities and higher economic growth, according to Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan.

“[The benefits comprise] new jobs, especially for local communities, multiplier effects for other modes of transportation or feeder transportation, and economic growth in areas passed by the high-speed railway line,” Luhut said at the inauguration of high-speed railway in Jakarta, Monday (10/02).

According to the Minister, the Indonesian people will also get benefits from the improvement of human capital capacity from transfer of modern technology used in the railway.

“In the future, we hope the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway will encourage the people to use public transportation more to reduce carbon emissions from private vehicles,” he said.

For the record, the free trial operation of the Jakarta-Bandung high speed railway has been carried out for three weeks.

“Due to high demand for the railway free trial, we have decided that until mid-October, the operation of the Jakarta-Bandung high speed railway will be free of charge,” he remarked. (DK/UN) (RI/EP)