REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The Jakarta-Bandung high speed and the Jakarta-Surabaya normal speed railway trains projects can run simultaneously, depending on the situation and conditions, Vice President Jusuf Kalla said here on Friday.

"Depending on (the situation that may emerge) later, it is important the Jakarta-Surabaya train journey time should be shortened (from eight) to five hours," Jusuf Kalla, better known as JK, pointed out.

According to him, Indonesia has conveyed a proposal of cooperation to Japan requesting the latter to renovate the eastern and western railway lines (from Jakarta to Surabaya), where trains can at a speed of 100 kilometers per hour currently to 150 kilometers per hour.

At 150 kilometers per hour, the Jakarta-Surabaya train, which usually needs about eight hours to reach its destination, can make that journey in five hours.

"Actually, with the current level of facilities and locomotives (such high speed) can be achieved, (but) there are thousands of crossings without barriers, or with barriers not properly constructed," JK noted.

Therefore, the vice president added, the proposal to Japan will be made for constructing better infrastructure, wherein railway crossings can be avoided through new flyovers and underpasses. This will ensure that road traffic is not affected to give way to a train.

On January 21, 2016, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) conducted a groundbreaking ceremony for the Jakarta-Bandung fast train project.

The Jakarta-Bandung fast train project will be built by PT Kereta Cepat Indonesia China, a joint venture between China Railway International Co. Ltd and a consortium PT Pilar Sinergi BUMN Indonesia (PBSI), that groups four state companies -- PT Wijaya Karya, PT KAI, PT Jasa Marga and PT Perkebunan Nusantara VIII.

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