Major railway project completed
Major railway project completed
Eva C. Komandjaja, The Jakarta Post, Cikampek, West Java
The government has completed the construction of the 135-
kilometer double track railway linking Cikampek and Cirebon in
West Java -- a project planned decades ago but shelved due to
lobbying by politically-connected businessmen.
The project was officially inaugurated on Thursday by Presi
dent Megawati Soekarnoputri at Cikampek railway station..
"We hope this will boost the quality of the train service
provided to the public," Megawati said.
The completion of the project will ease congestion on the
railway and allow state-owned PT Kereta Api Indonesia to carry a
greater number of people between the two towns.
The train is a popular means of transportation among low-
income people, and double-track railway lines are considered to
be the best solution to easing traffic jams across Java during
the Idul Fitri holidays, when millions of people travel from the
big cities on Java island back to their home villages in the
country.
According to Minister of Communications Agum Gumelar, the
Cikampek-Cirebon double-track railway will increase the line's
capacity from 145 trains to 280 trains per day and make the
journey time between the two towns shorter.
The project was completed in three stages. The first stage
stretching 18.4 kilometers from Haurgeulis to Kadokangabus was
completed in 1998 with funding from the 1992/1993 state budget.
The second part of the project stretching 62.8 kilometers from
Kadokangabus to Cirebon was "partially completed" in 1999. This
project was financed by a $81 million official development
assistance (ODA) loan from the Japan Bank for International
Cooperation (JBIC).
"The development of the railway linking Kadokangabus and
Cirebon has actually been completed. But, we have yet to replace
the signaling and telecommunication system, or build new stations
along the line," J.A. Barata, spokesman for the Ministry of
Communications' Directorate General of Land Transportation, told
reporters.
The third part of the project stretching 54 kilometers from
Cikampek to Cikaum started in November 2001 and was completed
last month. It was funded by a $67 million loan from the JBIC.
"Actually, the final part of the project was initially
scheduled for completion in March 2005. But, we accelerated the
work to make it ready for use during last month's holidays,"
project leader Budi Noviantoro told reporters.
The newly-completed Cikampek-Cikaum project was constructed by
John Holland, Adhi Karya and Itochu (HAI-JO). Besides
constructing the 54-kilometer-long double track, they also built
12 bridges and 96 box culverts, and installed electric signals
and telecommunications devices in nine railway stations along the
route.
Java has two railway networks linking the western part and the
eastern part of the island, stretching respectively along the
northern and southern parts of the island.
The Cikampek-Cirebon line is one of the busiest on the island
as trains traveling from the eastern part of Java to Jakarta
along the northern and southern railway networks all converge on
this line.
The idea of double-tracking the line dates back decades. But,
due to lobbying by politically connected businessmen, including
cement producers and road contractors, the New Order government
under President Soeharto put the project on hold for years,
prioritizing instead the development of toll roads in big cities,
particularly Jakarta.