Jakarta (ANTARA) - Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, announced on Friday the completion of the installation of rails for the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Rail (KCJB).
"This is the work of the Wijaya Karya team and the team from PT Kereta Cepat Indonesia China (KCIC) as well. Today, we gather to attend the inauguration ceremony of the rail installation completion for the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Rail," the minister said at Halim Station, East Jakarta.
The rails were installed over a distance of 304 kilometers, covering the double track of the entire KCJB route as far as 142.3 km, rails at 4 KCJB stations, and at Tegalluar Depot in Bandung district, he informed.
Pandjaitan also received reports regarding the progress of the KCJB project construction, which has currently reached 86.19 percent.
"Today's report showed that the progress has reached 86.19 percent, maybe even 90 percent on average, since the beginning of the construction in 2018," he said.
The minister acknowledged that the construction of the KCJB project faced many obstacles, but due to the good cooperation between Indonesia and China, the project is now close to 90 percent complete.
"There have indeed been many obstacles here and there, but I think this past year, the progress has been very good. So, we are proud to see the teams from China and Indonesia working well together," he remarked.
Pandjaitan further said that the completion of the track-laying is one of the most crucial milestones for the entire KCJB project.
"The completion of the track-laying is one of the most crucial milestones for the entire project because, at the same time, it is a sign of the project's readiness to enter the integrated testing period," he disclosed.
The track-laying process took 12 months since its start on April 20, 2022. The work was carried out using a track-laying machine, the first of its kind in Indonesia.
The machine is capable of installing rails up to a distance of 4.5 km per day, which is much faster than manual rail installation.
The installed rails meet special specifications for fast trains, with the rails of type R60 and a length of 500 meters.
They have been connected by the flash-butt welding method, which allows rail connections to be smoother and reduces shocks, ensuring the comfort of KCJB passengers.
Related news: Minister assures continued oversight of high-speed railway project
Related news: Jakarta-Bandung high-speed train trial in Nov: deputy minister
