TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Transportation Ministry has offered the Surabaya-Malang train track project to Russian Railways.

"The Transportation Ministry has offered Russian Railways to explore the development of the railway line from Surabaya to Malang," the ministry's Director General of Railways Prasetyo Budi Cahyono said during the XI Session of the Indonesia-Russian Joint Commission on Trade Economic and Technical Cooperation at the JW Marriott, South Jakarta, Monday, October 31.

According to Prasetyo, the track will see a lot of passenger traffic, meaning it needs development. In the near future, this offer will be followed up with a visit to the location.

Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Darmin Nasution, who was also present at the meeting, welcomed the plan.

Darmin said that the Surabaya-Malang train project is still in the early stages of discussion. Darmin said he could not provide a detailed explanation about the cooperation scheme.

Russian Railways has also agreed to develop a railway line in East Kalimantan. In early October, the Russian Ambassador to Indonesia Mikhail Galuzin and Russian Railways' President Oleg Belozerov met with East Kalimantan Governor Awang Ishak Faroek to discuss about the project.

According to Awang, the meeting discussed the construction of a railway line that would pass through West Kutai, Paser, Penajam Paser Utara and Balikpapan. Russian Railways has acquired 140 hectares of land in the Industrial Area of Buluminung, Penajam Paser Utara, East Kalimantan.

ANGELINA ANJAR SAWITRI