Bandung. A railway connecting downtown Jakarta to Soekarno-Hatta International Airport will be open to the public in September 2016, according to state railway operator Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI).

Despite a late start to construction, the project is on track to finish on schedule, said Hanggoro Budi Wiryawan, KAI managing director of logistics and development.

"We are finishing the land acquisition process. The appraisal process has finished and we will begin the price negotiation process at July 1," Hanggoro said on Saturday.

"We hope this process will be done in two or three months tops.

"When the land has been paid, we can immediately start the construction."

Hanggoro told reporters on Saturday that the groundbreaking ceremony will take place in September  — two months later than the initial plan. Still, he was confident the Rp 2 trillion ($149.7 million) project will finish in a year.

Both KAI and its subsidiary Railink have secured more than Rp 2 trillion in syndicated loans from Bank Mandiri, Bank Negara Indonesia, Bank Rakyat Indonesia, and private lender Bank Central Asia to finance the project.

KAI already has the rail and the railway tie prepared.

GlobeAsia