REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, PALEMBANG -- The South Sumatra project of 24.5 kilometer light rail transit (LRT) will be officially commissioned by President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) in mid July, 2018. Project leader from state owned construction company PT Waskita Karya Masudi said here on Sunday that Transport Minister Budi Karya Sumadi will accompany the president in commissioning the LRT on July 15.
"With the commissioning, LRT could start functioning from the SMB airport to the city and Jakabaring," Masudi said.
However, at that time only six of its 13 stations have been operational, including the airport, Palembang Icon, Ampera, OPI Mall, Hajj dormitory and Jakabaring stations where the stadium complex is located. Earlier, it was said only five station to be ready for Asian Games.
"We will seek to increase the number of stations in operation. We can ensure that at least 10 stations would be in operation when the Asian Games begins in August. There are still problems to finish the three other stations," he said.
Four other stations to be operational before the Games begins in August include Telkom, Cinde, Polresta Palembang and Dishub Sumsel stations, he said. The other three feared not yet operational when the Games begin are Polda, Demang Lebar Daun and RSU Provinsi stations.
"There is still difficulty in land clearing. We have to roll over the completion target for the three stations after the Games are over," he said.
Masudi said on June 9 two train sets already arrived at the port of Boom Baru of Palembang to be put into test, and four more units would follow after the Eid al-Fitr.
"Altogether there would be 8 trains sets to arrive by phases," he said.
The trial operation of the two trains had run smoothly without any problem. The trains ran at a speed of 35 per hour in the trail operation.
"The specifications and form of the two train sets are the same. The test run was help between the depot to the Polresta stations. The next test run would cover a longer distance up to the Palembang Icon station," he said.
He said the installation of the rails has been finished that the entire work has been 95 percent completed including construction of buildings, roads, electricity , park , etc.
"Only the electricity installation between the Telkom station and the airport 5 kilometers long has yet to be finished, but we continue trial run every day," he said.
The project, built mainly to facilitate the Asian games, was estimated to cost Rp72 trillion to be financed with fund from the 2018 state budget. The LRT will be operated by the state-owned railway company PT Kereta Api Indonesia.
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