Trans Sumatra Railway Project Not Relying on State Budget, Ministry Prepares Transport Integration
JAKARTA – The Ministry of Transport (Kemenhub) has stated that the development of the Trans Sumatra Railway can bring integrated transport hubs to various regions in order to strengthen connectivity and support sustainable public mobility. The development of the Trans Sumatra Railway prioritises the construction of optimally interconnected transport hubs.
“Yes, (the development of the Trans Sumatra railway line can be) well integrated, safe and comfortable,” said Risal Wasal, Director General of Transport and Multimodal Integration at the Ministry of Transport, when met on the sidelines of the National Seminar and Inauguration of the Central Board and the Professional and Ethics Council of the Indonesian Transport Society (MTI) for the 2025–2028 term of office in Jakarta on Tuesday.
According to him, the Ministry of Transport is not specifically discussing the development of Transit Oriented Development (TOD) areas, but rather prioritising intermodal integration hubs that are safe, comfortable and easily accessible to the public.
“I am not talking about TOD. But rather hubs that are integrated. It could be a hub and so on. TOD involves additional buildings, such as hotels or whatever, even manufacturing areas. I am talking about the hub itself, an integration hub,” Risal explained.
Risal assured that the development of the Trans Sumatra Railway will give rise to new transport hubs with various models according to service needs and the characteristics of regions on the island of Sumatra.
These transport hubs are expected to strengthen intermodal integration so that the movement of passengers and goods becomes more efficient and connectivity between regions across Sumatra improves.
Previously, Minister of Transport Dudy Purwagandhi stated that the development of the Trans Sumatra Railway project, a railway line running from Banda Aceh to Bandar Lampung, will not rely on the State Budget (APBN).
Speaking after a working meeting with Commission V of the House of Representatives (DPR RI) in Jakarta on Thursday (4/6), the Minister said the government is seeking various alternative financing schemes to support the acceleration of the rail network’s construction.