Jakarta and Bandung are the largest and third-largest cities of Indonesia. The project connecting these two cities was earlier hit by licencing woes. (Source: Twitter)

China’s high-speed rail project in Indonesia has received all permits and the project could be completed in three years, according to the People’s Daily of China. A China-Indonesia joint venture, the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed rail project would be Indonesia’s first high-speed railway. It was conceptualised seven months ago. According to experts, the rail project should be completed in three years, though there are apprehensions of delay. Reports said that developer of the project, PT Kereta Cepat Indonesia China (KCIC), has received construction permit for the entire 142- km stretch. KCIC is a consortium of China railway Corp (CRC) and four state-owned companies of Indonesia.

Jakarta and Bandung are the largest and third-largest cities of Indonesia. The project connecting these two cities was earlier hit by licencing woes. When completed, the maximum speed of trains on high-speed rail would be 350 km per hour, reducing the time taken to travel between the two cities from over three hours to just 40 minutes, the People’s Daily reported. In March this year, the KCIC got the right to operate the Jakarta-Bandung railway line for 50 years, starting from May 2019. The project will cost about $5.13 billion.

The report quoting experts said that permits were slower to arrive but it would be completed on time as scheduled. “The consortium is capable of finishing the project within 18 months, and it took into consideration that some delays might occur during the construction phase,” Wang Mengshu, ­academician at the Chinese Academy of ­Engineering, was reported as saying by the Global Times on Sunday.