Jakarta-Bandung Bullet Train Project to Begin Construction in January

Jakarta. The land acquisition process for the Jakarta-Bandung bullet train project is now 99 percent complete, Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi said on Monday.

Budi made the announcement after a meeting with the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment and several other ministries and organizations involved in the project on Monday.

The minister said the land acquisition will be entirely completed by January 2020, soon after which construction on the project will begin. 

"Mr. Luhut [Panjaitan, the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment] has given his endorsement and has formed a team to finalize the land acquisition in January. After that, we can begin laying down the tracks," Budi said.

The minister also announced that another double-track railway will be built to transfer passengers from Tegalluar to Bandung for the high-speed train service.

Luhut said the track will be ready by 2021, a few months before the bullet train begins operation.

The Jakarta-Bandung bullet train project is a collaboration between Indonesia and China, who secured a building contract in 2015.

Luhut said lack of follow-ups has caused many delays in the past, but he was confident the project can now be completed in time. 

The government still needs to free up land in 13 spots, according to the head of West Java's transportation department, Hery Antasari.