REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, PALEMBANG -- Minister of Transportation Budi Karya Sumadi has said the construction of Light Rail Transit (LRT) in Palembang, South Sumatra Province, will be completed by June 2018. The trials, he said, will be conducted at the end of February or March. "Later, we will perform an integrated audit," Minister Budi Karya said here on Monday.

Previously, Budi also said rolling stock trains will be constructed in April 2018. He added that the progress of LRT's physical construction has reached 80 percent.

He hoped that the South Sumatra LRT will be operated soon, before the opening of the 2018 Asian Games. Budi said, South Sumatra LRT will be the backbone of Palembang public transportation.

Also read: LRT tickets to be available for free during 2018 Asian Games

Earlier, South Sumatra Governor Alex Noerdin said the provincial administration had conducted a comparative study on safety of passengers in Japan and Malaysia. "We have learned that in Tokyo and Malaysia, for example, on how to drop off the passengers if the train strikes or stops," he said.

The governor added that the South Sumatra LRT was not only solving transportation problems, but also changing people's lifestyles better. "People are required to stand in line, discipline, and keep the environment clean," he said.

The development of South Sumatra LRT is a mandate based on the Presidential Regulation 55/2016 on the Acceleration of Light Rail Transit Operation in South Sumatra Province. In the project, PT Waskita Karya is the developer of the Railway Infrastructure Development in South Sumatra.

The construction of South Sumatra LRT has been started since 2015 with the State Budget covering construction and supervision works. The construction of South Sumatra LRT project is divided into five work zones to accelerate the completion of the development.

With a railway line of approximately 23 kilometers long, using 1,067 mm rail line and third rail electricity of 750 VDC, South Sumatra LRT will connect Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin International Airport to Jakabaring sports area. Jakabaring will be used as one of the sport arenas of the 2018 Asian Games.

The LRT is equipped with 13 stations, one depo and nine electrical substations.

For the development of South Sumatra LRT, the government uses slab track technology to install the LRT rail line. The use of slab track technology is the first time for the construction of railways in Indonesia.

The South Sumatra LRT will be operated for 14 railways, each consisting of three trains which one train accommodates 180-250 passengers.

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