Monitor Lizards and Kites Haunt Whoosh High-Speed Train Journeys

The operation of the Whoosh Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Train continues to be threatened by kite-flying activities. Such activities, especially when kites become tangled in the overhead catenary system, can disrupt the journey of the ‘lightning express’.

KCIC Manager Corporate Communication, Emir Monti, stated that there are always disruptions to Whoosh services every month due to kites entering the infrastructure. He anticipates that this activity will increase ahead of the school holidays and the dry season.

‘Regarding kites, in the lead-up to the school holidays and the dry season, we see a potential danger and risk of disruption to Whoosh trips caused by kites,’ Emir Monti said on Tuesday (2/6/2026).

Most disruptions caused by kites occur along the track corridor from Padalarang to Bandung. Consequently, Whoosh services are occasionally forced to make emergency stops for the safety of passengers.

Emir explained that many cases occur in the afternoon, noting that while people may be flying kites two kilometres away from the high-speed rail line, when the string breaks and dangles, the kite is carried by the wind and enters the Whoosh track area.