Train to become favorite transportation means: Minister

Train to become favorite transportation means: Minister.

CIANJUR -- State-owned Enterprises Minister Dahlan Iskan said train would become a favorite mass transportation means for the Indonesian people, including the people of Cianjur, West Java.

"This is because the Cianjur - Sukabumi train services which have been halted for several years will be reactivated on February 8, 2014 in an effort to resolve traffic jams," the minister said here on Saturday.

He said that trains had now become a favorite vehicle for commuters who wanted to avoid traffic woes and to arrive at their destinations soon.

"I hope the people of Cianjur will also enjoy the service again with the reactivation of the Cianjur - Sukabumi train services," he said.

The minister explained that since the opening of a toll road the train services for commuters in a number of regions in West Java had been inactive. But the services will be reactivate again, particularly the train service at the Cianjur train station.

Commuters will be able to enjoy the service from Cianjur to Sukabumi and they could continue their trips with other trains to Bogor and Jakarta.

Minister Dahlan said the Indonesian railway service PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) for Cinanjur had made enough preparations such as repair of railway tracks, modernizing station equipment and improving the waiting rooms.

"This is good. I see that it is now right to reactive the Cianjur - Sukabumi train service," he said when inspecting the Cianjur train station.

In the meantime, the government plans to open initial tender for the construction of a track for express airport train between Jakarta's two airports in April this year.

"We are preparing for the procurement of the consultancy service to hold the qualification tender of bidders," Traffic and Railway Transport Director of the Transport Ministry Hanggoro Budi Wiryawan said recently.

Feasibility study was already wrapped up in December 2013 on the project to build railway track between the Halim Perdanakusuma and Soekarno Hatta airports, Hanggoro said.

He said, the initial plan was between Manggarai station in South Jakarta and Soekarno-Hatta airport, which has failed in implementation after delay several times.

"Later, there was potential demand for extension of the tract to the northern side of the Cikampek toll road around 1 kilometers from the Halim airport," he said.

Therefore, construction would start from Halim area under a government-private cooperation scheme, he said.

The announcement came after the opening of Halim Perdanakusuma, for commercial flight as from January, 2014.

Previously the airport served only as an air force base and for non commercial flights for the government or state guests.

Part of the Indonesian airlines will move their bases to Halim Perdanakusuma to ease congestion in Soekarno Hatta airport.

The railway route to be built will start from Halim via Cawang, Manggarai, Tanah Abang, Sudirman, Pluit, to Terminals 2 and 3 of the Soekarno-Hatta internaitonal airport.