Indonesia's First Bullet Train Reaches Major Milestone
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Indonesia's Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway has surpassed 10 million passenger trips since it began operations in 2023.
The 142-kilometer rail line connects Jakarta with Bandung in West Java, cutting a three-hour drive to a 46 minute-train journey.
Newsweek contacted the network owners, Kereta Cepat Indonesia China, for more information on the milestone via email.
Why It Matters
The high-speed rail link, a joint venture under China's Belt and Road Initiative, is Indonesia's first infrastructure project of this kind. China leads the world in high-speed rail development and the project symbolizes deepening infrastructure cooperation between the countries.
A Jakarta-Bandung high-speed train is seen at the Tegalluar station depot in Bandung, West Java, on January 17, 2024.
A Jakarta-Bandung high-speed train is seen at the Tegalluar station depot in Bandung, West Java, on January 17, 2024.
Getty Images
What to Know
The high-speed railway is now operating 62 daily train services, up from 14 during its initial phase, accommodating more than 37,000 passengers per day. Trains operate at speeds of up to 220 miles per hour.
Some trains have recorded occupancy rates as high as 99.6 percent, particularly during peak travel seasons like Ramadan and Christmas, according to China Railway International reports seen by The Star.
Construction of the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway began in 2015 after delays caused by land acquisition and funding concerns. Built at an estimated cost of $7.3 billion, the project is operated by the joint Sino-Indonesian Kereta Cepat Indonesia China consortium.
Funding was secured through a combination of equity and loans from the China Development Bank, with Indonesia holding a minority stake.
The railway's operation is overseen by the Sino-Indonesian Operation and Maintenance Consortium. Key operational practices, like emergency preparedness and earthquake resilience protocols, are adapted from Chinese high-speed rail standards.
As of June 2025, more than 600 Indonesian personnel have completed railway training programs, with 263 certified by Indonesia's Ministry of Transportation.
These include 34 train drivers who now independently operate trains under Chinese mentorship, a foundational step toward full local operation.
What People Are Saying
Danang Parikesit, professor of transport policy at Gajah Mada University, told Voice of America that the partnership between Indonesia and China was very important for future infrastructure expansion, saying: "Indonesia's long-term development plans will be able to cut logistical costs by half.
"That's why we need international partners to invest and improve our highways, railways system, ports and airports as well as other infrastructure like gas pipes and floating storage.
"Diversifying and extending partnership with other countries will provide a better base for our future transportation development. So I believe we need to balance between the urgent need for our transport investment and to diversify our partnership, taking the best of what different countries can offer."
What's Next
According to China Railway International, both Indonesian and Chinese rail partners are committed to making the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway a model of regional transportation efficiency.
Plans for future phases or extensions of the high-speed network remain under discussion, with the current focus on solidifying stable operations and local workforce development.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
DOGE Terminates Nearly 3,000 Government Phones
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) announced on Friday that it has significantly expanded its government phone line elimination program, terminating nearly 3,000 devices across multiple agencies. Newsweek reached out to the White House via email on Saturday for comment. Why It Matters DOGE was established by President Donald Trump upon his return to office in collaboration with tech billionaire Elon Musk, with the stated goal of reducing federal government waste and inefficiency. Musk said he had "done enough" and later stepped down in May after serving less than five months as DOGE's leader. The task force claims to have saved $170 billion overall, with its "wall of receipts" accounting for approximately $71 billion in terminated contracts, grants, and leases. The phone line terminations serve as a testing ground for the task force's approach to cost reduction across federal agencies. If successful, DOGE estimates similar cuts could save the federal government up to $100 million annually when applied across all departments. However, the effectiveness and scope of these cuts remain subjects of debate among policymakers and government efficiency experts. Unused phone line update!@SBAgov has continued its phone audit and has now saved ~$2.84M/year in unnecessary spend. This includes: * Traditional Landlines: 96% (661 of 686) terminated, saving ~$650k/year * Mobile Phone: 55% (2,940 of 5,340) deactivated, saving ~$1.7M/year *… — Department of Government Efficiency (@DOGE) June 27, 2025 What To Know DOGE announced on X, formerly Twitter, on Friday that the Small Business Administration (SBA) had deactivated 2,940 of 5,340 mobile phones (55 percent), eliminated 6,505 of 9,195 VOIP licenses (70 percent), and terminated 661 of 686 traditional landlines (96 percent), resulting in annual savings of approximately $2.84 million. The phone line cuts began in May with a pilot program at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), where 198 "unused" lines were canceled in one hour, saving $100,000 annually, according to a post on X. DOGE extrapolated this data to estimate potential government-wide savings, though critics note that other agencies may not have the same percentage of unused lines. A recent Harvard University/Harris Poll released in May found that cutting the size of government is broadly popular across the nation, with 63 percent of Americans supporting the effort. A majority, 55 percent, said they believe DOGE has been effective at doing so. However, 54 percent of Americans said they believe the task force has "gone about making cuts to government expenses" the "wrong way." The poll surveyed 1,903 registered voters on May 14 and May 15, and had a margin of error of plus or minus 2.2 percentage points. What People Are Saying Elon Musk, former leader of DOGE, posted on X: "Government is wasting about $100 million per year on unused phone lines!" Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, a Republican, posted on X in May: "We identified the same issue last year with our Arkansas Forward initiative. We are now saving state taxpayers $1 million by eliminating unused phone lines." Immigration attorney Curtis Morrison posted on X in May: "Government not answering phone, and DOGE solution is to cancel phone lines." Elon Musk shows off a shirt that says "DOGE" as he walks on the South Lawn of the white House after stepping off Marine One upon arrival to the White House in Washington, DC on... Elon Musk shows off a shirt that says "DOGE" as he walks on the South Lawn of the white House after stepping off Marine One upon arrival to the White House in Washington, DC on March 9, 2025. More OLIVER CONTRERAS/AFP via Getty Images What Happens Next DOGE plans to continue its cost-cutting efforts across federal agencies in the coming months. However, the task force faces ongoing legal challenges regarding transparency.
Business Insider
an hour ago
- Business Insider
China-Senegal relations enter new phase with renewed political, economic cooperation
China and Senegal have deepened their long-standing bilateral partnership with renewed economic and political partnership, and cultural cooperation, highlighting the growing depth of China's influence within the Global South. China and Senegal have enhanced their bilateral relationship through renewed cooperation agreements. High-level meetings focused on achieving outcomes from the 2024 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. Senegal affirmed its commitment to strategic partnerships with China under the Belt and Road Initiative. During a high-level meeting in Beijing on Friday, Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, and commended the significant progress achieved by both nations since the 2024 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. " China and Senegal are companions on the path to development and revitalization as well as good brothers. China is willing to work with Senegal to strengthen solidarity and cooperation, bring more benefits to the two peoples, and inject fresh impetus into China-Africa friendship and Global South cooperation," President Xi said. Sonko, who had earlier attended the World Economic Forum's 16th Annual Meeting of the New Champions, known as the Summer Davos, in Tianjin, extolled the strong historical ties between the two countries and emphasized the importance of mutual respect and shared values. 'The relations between our two countries go back a very long time; they are solid and based on common values shared by the Global South, ' he said, adding that China respects Senegal's sovereignty and development path. President Xi, however, called for deeper and swift implementation of the outcomes from the 2024 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and promised a more comprehensive Chinese investment in Senegal, particularly in energy, digital infrastructure, and trade. With a shared vision for the future, He also highlighted the upcoming China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges as a new opportunity to boost cooperation in education, tourism, youth engagement, and cultural initiatives. China - Senegal's reliable partner in progress Prime Minister Sonko commended the initiative; he described China as a ' reliable partner, ' and reaffirmed his country's commitment to the one-China principle. He further expressed enthusiasm for advancing cooperation with China through the Belt and Road Initiative and other bilateral agreements. ' Senegal is committed to firmly working as China's strategic partner to jointly promote international fairness and justice, ' Sonko added. Both leaders stressed the importance of defending multipolarity and strengthening South-South partnerships. As Senegal continues to push for economic transformation, its alignment with the Asian giant signals a gradual shift among African nations seeking development partnerships rooted in shared values and mutual respect.
Hamilton Spectator
an hour ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Hudson's Bay landlords don't want Liu to move in, but retailer still has a shot
TORONTO - A group of Hudson's Bay's landlords don't want to transfer more than two dozen leases to British Columbia billionaire Ruby Liu, but the department store still has a chance to get its way. The Bay, which filed for creditor protection in March, ran a process over the last several months to find buyers for leases belonging to it and Saks Canada. It agreed to sell up to 28 spaces to Liu. Three leases were transferred to her without any hiccups because they're in B.C. malls she owns, but another 25 are at properties held by a who's who of Canadian commercial real estate firms. Landlords for 23 of those sites oppose the transfer. Several have said in court they've been 'very troubled' with their interactions with Liu and have had 'no productive discussions, no meaningful disclosure.' Liu insists if the court hands her the leases, landlords will warm to her and her plan to open a new department store in their properties. While the disagreement could serve as a roadblock to the Bay closing on its agreement with Liu, lawyers not involved in the case say the retailer has another route it can take to get a deal done. That route lies in changes to the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act — Canada's main insolvency law — made in 2009, said Jeff Lee, a Saskatoon-based partner at MLT Aikins LLP. The changes laid out three criteria courts must consider when asked to assign leases to a new tenant. The first is whether or not the sale has the support of the monitor, a court-appointed, independent third party which helps guide businesses through creditor protection. In the Bay's case, the monitor is Alvarez & Marsal. It has yet to reveal whether it supports the Liu deal and did not respond to requests for comment. 'Before any court application is brought forward, typically the company will test that out with them,' Lee said. 'They're not going to just sort of fly in blind and hope for the best.' The second aspect for the court to mull is whether the proposed new tenant is suitable. Lee said that's determined by looking at whether they can perform the duties of the tenant and pay rent. Liu, who made her money in Chinese real estate, appears to have deep pockets but her experience comes from being a landlord rather than a tenant. The final aspect the court will consider is whether a transfer of a lease to Liu is 'appropriate.' Lee said people should think of it as asking this question: 'Is what's proposed for this post-assignment lease relationship what people signed up for, or are they seeking to rewrite the lease or change the playing field so radically that it's not appropriate?' That's where much of the tension could lie in the Bay case. 'You can't go into CCAA as a tenant and then force your landlords to renegotiate their leases as a result,' said Peter Tolensky, a Vancouver-based partner at Lawson Lundell LLP. The Canadian Press obtained a document last week that Liu's lawyer sent landlords outlining her plans. It says she will take on the leases on an 'as is, where is' basis but doesn't mention the dining, entertainment, children's and fitness experiences she's told media she'd like to include in her department stores. It's unclear whether the leases allow for uses other than a Bay-like department store. A court faced with a request to reassign leases will weigh this context and think about whether 'the landlord's world is being turned upside down by having this new tenant,' said Geoffrey Dabbs, a B.C.-based founding partner at Gehlen Dabbs Cash. 'The more it's a minor inconvenience for the landlord, the more likely the judge will order it,' he said. While the Bay hasn't said whether it will seek an assignment, it's likely because any company in creditor protection has a duty to show the court it's doing its best to pay back companies and people it owes money to, Dabbs said. The Bay has a 26-page list of creditors, with some lenders owed more than $100 million each. Liquidation sales and a deal to sell the Bay trademarks to Canadian Tire for $30 million have put a dent in what's owed but selling leases to Liu would also help. Anyone who made an offer for leases had to make a deposit of 10 per cent of their estimated purchase price. Court documents show Liu made a deposit of $9.4 million, in addition to $6 million for the three approved leases, which would equate to a purchase price of $100 million for 28 leases. When a deal like this is reached, Dabbs said a company typically seeks landlord consent because commercial leases tend to have provisions stopping anyone from transferring a lease without a property owner agreeing. It's not uncommon for landlords to object because any leases that can't be sold and aren't assigned get turned back over to property owners who can choose how to fill them and under what terms. 'Remember, these are anchor leases, so they're probably very favourable to the Bay or to the tenant in a lot of respects,' said Tolensky, alluding to the fact that anchor tenants are often given attractive rents or terms. Thus, it's more advantageous for landlords to get their properties back, said Monica Beffa, founder of an Oakville, Ont., law firm. If they do, they can then charge higher rents, develop them for entirely new uses such as residential units or break them up into smaller parcels that can be rented by a wide array of tenants. If they don't and a court assigns the leases to Liu, landlords will likely be watching her closely to ensure she doesn't violate any terms of the agreement. 'The landlord may be cranky, if the tenant breaches, but put it this way, they don't want to rely on that,' Dabbs said. 'If they don't want this lease being assigned, they will fight it right up front.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 28, 2025.
