GOVERNMENT PRIORITIZES REGIONS FOR RAILWAY PROJECTS

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, May 27 (Antara) - The Indonesian government is focusing on developing railway projects outside Java in an effort to improve transportation and establish connectivity among regions across the country.          Regions outside Java are being accorded priority in railway development as part of the government's endeavor to ensure equitable development and boost national economy through increased connectivity among the regions.          "The railway projects being taken up on priority are not in Java. In fact, priority is being accorded to eastern regions. Therefore, we want to first complete the work on the Trans Sumatra and Trans Sulawesi projects as soon as possible," Director General of Railways Prasetyo Boeditjahjono stated at a function in Jakarta on Thursday.          In order to implement the Trans Sumatra and Trans Sulawesi railway projects, the government is expected to cooperate with China. This month, the Directorate General of Railways will submit documents containing details of the Trans Sumatra and Trans Sulawesi projects to China.

DEVELOPMENT OF RAILWAY NETWORK EXPECTED TO BEGIN IN WEST PAPUA

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, May 4 (Antara) - Construction of the Sorong-Manokwari section of a railway network, which will link six districts in West Papua Province, is expected to start this year if the local government can settle land clearance issues soon.          The government has planned to develop a railway network, comprising three ground planning sections of Sorong-Manokwari, Manokwari-Teluk Bintuni, and Teluk Bintuni-Ayamaru, which is expected to be completed by 2019 in West Papua Province.         "If the provincial government of West Papua is able to accomplish it this year, the development of the railway network can be carried out this year also," Transportation Minister Ignasius Jonan stated while inaugurating the new terminal of the Domine Edward Osok (DEO) in Sorong, West Papua, on April 30.          Therefore, the minister has urged the provincial administration to prepare the land required for the development of the railway network in the province. The construction will start from Sorong to Manokwari stretching 390 kilometers in length.

INDONESIA ACCELERATES RAILWAY DEVELOPMENT

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Jan 4 (Antara) - Indonesia needs to develop its railway network in an effort to advance its transportation sector, promote economic activities and ensure connectivity across the country.          With that aim, the government is accelerating the development of railway infrastructure in various parts of the country to promote connectivity. The ventures include railway projects in Java, Sulawesi, Papua and Sumatra which will ensure better connectivity not just among the people but also regions.         "We have started developing railway projects in a number of regions in Sulawesi and Sumatra. I hope that a project will also be started this year in Papua. If that does not happen in the first semester, then it would surely happen in the second half of 2016. The work should begin this year," President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) said as he opened a limited cabinet meeting on Monday.

GOVERNMENT BEGINS TRANS-SULAWESI RAILWAY PROJECT

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Nov 28 (Antara) - The Indonesian government is committed to developing railway projects in provinces across the country, particularly outside Java Island, in an effort to increase connectivity and reduce transportation costs.          President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) Wednesday, November 25, inspected the construction of the first phase of the 2000-kilometer (km) Makassar-Manado Trans-Sulawesi Railway Project, which is being built at a cost of Rp40 trillion and is expected to commence operations in 2018.          "The railway service is expected to commence operations in 2018 and will connect the two capitals," the President told newsmen after the inspection of the first phase.          The first phase of the Trans-Sulawesi section stretches 145 km from Makassar, the South Sulawesi provincial capital, to Parepare Municipality, and is expected to begin operations by the end of 2016.          The government was committed to providing infrastructure in the regions across the country, the President emphasized.          "It is not only here but also in other places. In Papua, we are still conducting a study, which is expected to be completed in the next quarter, so that the construction may possibly start next year," he noted in Barru, a district town of South Sulawesi which is blessed by the project.

JAVA BADLY NEEDS DOUBLE TRACK RAILWAYS

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Oct 9 (ANTARA) - Java island which hosts about 58 percent of Indonesia's  238 million population badly needs double track railways to meet the increasing demand for railway transportation services and to avoid train accidents like the one that killed at least 34 people and injured 43 others in Pemalang, Central Java last Saturday.          However, to  build a double track railway from Jakarta to Surabaya in East Java, state-owned railway firm PT KAI will need funds totaling  Rp9 trillion. "If the government is able to provide funds in that amount,  double track railways can  be built and be finished by 2014," Director General for Railway Affairs  Tundjung Inderawan said.          Even though it lacks funds, the government will do its best to prevent a recurrence of last Saturday's train tragedies in Central Java, Tundjung Inderawan said.          He was referring to the two septate tragic railway accidents in which trains collided in the Purwsari and Pemalang regions, recently.          "Having learned a lesson from the latest accidents, we will do our best to prevent similar tragedies from happening in the future. We will conduct a comprehensive evaluation of state railway company PT KAI, and based on the evaluation results, make the needed reforms and improvements to the company's management," Tundjung said.          The tragedies remind the government that  the development of double track railways is now urgent, at least in the sections whose train flow is busy so that  it could be managed easily.          "We cannot avoid the need for double track railways because the flow of trains has increased extraordinarily. And if we are still using single track, it will cause us troubles to manage it," legislator Mulyadi of the House Commission V on transportation affairs said.          Mulyadi made the remarks when, together with other legislators from Commission  V, observed the Tawang Railway Station in Semarang, Central Java, recently. They were accompanied by Central Java Governor Bibit Waluyo, Semarang Mayor Soemarno, Chief of PT KAI for Semarang Septa T. Ramadhin.          He said that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had serious attention to the development of the country's railway system. His attention could clearly be observed in his address before the House of Representatives recently.          "In his address when delivering the government's financial notes before the House plenary, the president's attention was clearly seen when he stressed the importance of increasing the funds for the development of the railway infrastructures," he said.          He said that there were several problems with the railway transportation problem in Java that needed to be solved in the face of the increasing number of train passengers.          "If it manages its business effectively and efficiently, PT KAI could reap profit that could recover its costs. So for this purpose, PT KAI is expected to continue increasing its services in the future," he said.           However, the state-owned railway company will need a fund of at least Rp9 trillion to build the country's railway system with double tracks, particularly in Java island where the mobility of travelers using trains is increasing.          Speaking to the press at Gambir Railway Station in Central Jakarta in responding to the Pemalang train accident this week, Railway System Director General Tundjung Inderawan said Java's double track railways could be built if the fund of that amount was available.          He said that the construction of double tracks on Java's northern and southern lanes had been planned by the government as one of  its steps to develop the country's land infrastructure sector.          According to the director general, lane sections that already have double tracks are the Jakarta-Cirebon and the Cikampek-Purwokerto sections. Other sections where construction of double tracks are already underway included that in the middle lane which passes by Purwokerto and that in northern lane which stretches from Larangan to Petarukan.          "The development of others like the Semarang-Surabaya section should be completed," said Tundjung Inderawan.          President Director of PT KAI Ignasius Jonan said that the double track railways that should be built in Java had length of sections of 400 km.          According to Tunjdung Inderawan, besides for developing new double track railways, the Rp9 trillion is also needed to revitalize old tracks, replace railway sleepers, improve rail curvature and other railway improvement.          But due the limited funds from the government, the directorate general of railway system was forced to work out a partial funding program, the director general said.          He admitted that his directorate general faced fund problems in the development of railway infrastructure and in revitalizing old railway tracks. The government could not meet the budget proposal every year.  "The government usually only approves about 40 to 50 percent of the budget proposal," he said.          Therefore, apart from the government PT KAI is also allowed based on the law to seek for funds from the private sector. In certain locations, the construction of double track railways has involved contractors from Japan, for example, or from France. ***2*** (T.A014/A/HAJM/12:35/A/O001) 09-10-2010 12:39:3