The cost of Indonesia's second high speed railway line connecting Jakarta to Surabaya, East Java, can swell to Rp 102 trillion ($7.6 billion) and the constructors might be forced to complete the project in stages. (Reuters Photo)

Jakarta. West Papua will have its own bullet train network, a high-speed railway line capable of running express trains at a maximum speed of up to 250 kilometers per hour, Hermanto Dwi Atmoko, Director General of Railways, said on Thursday (28/04).

Trains used on the network will be capable of carrying larger loads, similar to those intended for use in Sulawesi and Kalimantan, and run faster than trains in Java and Sumatera.

Hermanto said, after a meeting with West Papua Deputy Governor Irene Manibuy, that the first and second phase of the development will take place between 2016 and 2019.

“First the regional government will have to clear the land, test the routes, assess the environmental impact and look for recommendations from all regional leaders in the area,” Hermanto said.

All in all, West Papua’s railway development will be done in three phases. The total length of the railway track from Manokwari to Sorong will be 390 kilometers. The project is expected to start this year.