President Jokowi Launches Minangkabau Airport Train
West Sumatra Governor Irwan Prayitno welcomes President Jokowi and First Lady Ibu Iriana at Minangkabau Airport, Padang Pariaman, Monday (21/5). (Photo by: Secretariat of the President)
President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and First Lady Ibu Iriana, on Monday (21/5) at 07.50 a.m. Western Indonesian Time departed to West Sumatra for a working visit and inaugurating Minangkabau Airport Train.
Accompanying the President and the First Lady on the flight were Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung, Minister of Agrarian and Spatial Planning / Head of National Land Agency Sofyan Djalil, and Deputy Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Archandra Tahar.
President Jokowi arrived at Minangkabau International Airport, Padang Pariaman Regency, at 09.15 and was greeted by West Sumatra Governor Irwan Prayitno, Military Commander Region I / Bukit Barisan Maj. Gen. Ibnu Triwidodo and West Sumatra Police Chief Inspector General Pol Fakhrizal.
The President, Ibu Iriana and the entourage tried the newly launched airport train, known as Minangkabau Express, before inaugurating the buildings of junior high school, senior high school, and apartment at Prof. Dr. Hamka Modern Integrated Islamic Boarding School.
The Minangkabau Express has four carriages and 200 seats, and is the third airport train in Indonesia after Soekarno-Hatta Airport train and Kualanamu Airport train, Medan. It serves five daily trips from Simpang Haru Padang Station to Minangkabau International Airport and transports up to 393 passengers per trip.
The train fare is only Rp10,000 for the furthest distance from Padang Station to Minangkabau Airport with a 40-minute travel time and Rp5,000 for a trip from Padang Station to Tabing Station.
Minangkabau Express Schedule:
- to Minangkabau International Airport
Padang Tabing Duku
6:15 6:31 6:48
8:35 8:51 9:08
11:10 11:26 11:43
13:20 13:36 13:53
16:20 16:36 16:53
- to Padang
Minangkabau Airport Duku Tabing
7:40 7:49 8:06
9:45 9:54 10:11
12:10 12:17 12:36
14:45 14:54 15:09
17:55 18:02 18:21
It only takes 8-minute walk from the airport station to departure gate of Minangkabau Airport, via a comfortable corridor. Thus, the passengers can easily carry their luggage, even the large one.
The airport station is also equipped with various facilities with a spacious and clean waiting room.
Also attending the inauguration of the Minangkabau Express were Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung, Minister of Transportation Budi K. Sumadi, Minister of Public Works and Public Housing Basuki Hadimuljono, Minister of Education and Culture Muhadjir Effendy, member of Presidential Advisory Council Sidarto Danusubroto, Deputy Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Archandra Tahar, and West Sumatra Governor Irwan Prayitno. (DNS/RAH/ES) (RI/MMB/Naster)
