Trains expected to realize soon in South Kalimantan

Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan 8/8 (AntaranewsKalsel) - Chairman of Commission III for Development and Infrastructure of South Kalimantan DPRD Supian H.K. hopes a public transport mode of train in the province will soon be realized.

"We are proud to hear from the Head of South Kalimantan Development Planning Board (Bappeda) Nurul Fajar Desira that the construction of the railway in this province will be as soon as possible," he said in Banjarmasin on Tuesday.

Chairman of Commission III, who is also in charge of the transportation, hopes the future train can solve the problem of transportation in the oldest province in Kalimantan.

"The existence of mass transportation modes in the form of train becomes an alternative for land transportation service users in our province," said the senior politician of Golkar Party.

Moreover, he said, the plan for railway development is not limited to South Kalimantan but will connect with other provinces, namely East Kalimantan, West Kalimantan and Central Kalimantan, even to the "Sarawak State, Malaysia's eastern region.

Earlier, head of Bappeda Fajar Desira said the central government targeted the construction of the railway in the province to be completed before the end of the term of President Joko Widodo, 2014-2019.

For South Kalimantan, the plan for railway construction is from Tabalong or northernmost regency of South Kalimantan to Banjarmasin City which is about 236 kilometers.

The train is not only for carrying passengers but also goods and mining products. So mining goods no longer through the highway, which in turn can facilitate the flow of public transport traffic.

"It is now the measurement to determine the point of construction of the railway, with the hope that all parties can participate, such as willingness to release the affected land through the compensation system," said Fajar.

On a separate occasion, an observer of transportation history in South Kalimantan, Syamsuddin Hasan, said the train had existed during the Dutch and Japanese occupation in the province.

The existence of railway tracks during the Dutch and the Japanese occupation that crossed the Meratus Mountains specifically to transport coal mining products.