Jakarta-Bandung HSR carries 58,000 passengers since commercial operation

Students attend a free class given by Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway (HSR) Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) Educational and Cultural Exchange Base in the carriage of a running Jakarta-Bandung HSR EMU train in Indonesia, Oct. 24, 2023. (Xinhua/Xu Qin)

JAKARTA, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- The Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway (HSR), the first of its kind in Indonesia, has carried 58,000 passengers since its commercial operation, an official said on Friday.

The Chinese-made HSR, locally known as "Whoosh," began its commercial operation earlier this month.

Emir Monti, the manager of corporate communications of PT Kereta Cepat Indonesia-China (KCIC), a joint venture consortium between Indonesian and Chinese firms that constructs and runs the HSR, told local media that 58,000 tickets have been sold to date with high public enthusiasm.

"We have around 7,000 passengers per day with an average occupancy of 90 percent. This shows that public interest in the high-speed train is very good," he said, adding that the KCIC had added train services from 14 to 25 daily.

The sudden passenger hike, Monti explained, occurred as the KCIC was currently giving a promotional price of 150,000 Indonesian rupiah (about 9 U.S. dollars) for a one-way trip. The promotion, he said, is valid from Oct. 18 to Nov. 30.

With a design speed of 350 km per hour, the 142.3-km HSR will cut the journey between the Southeast Asian country's capital and Bandung in West Java from over three hours to around 40 minutes.■