The Transportation Ministry says the government has not overlooked the possibility of converting a semi high-speed train connecting Jakarta and Surabaya in East Java into a high-speed project, if it is technically possible.

The ministry is currently looking for consultants from Japan to conduct a feasibility study for the project, which is expected to be completed by the end of this year, said Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi.

“It depends. If it is feasible then the project may become a high-speed one,” he said following a meeting at the State Palace in Central Jakarta.

(Read also: Jakarta-Bandung high speed railway to get Chinese loan)

The Jakarta-Surabaya project is part of the government’s efforts to revitalize the existing railway, which will be developed into a medium-speed railway with an estimated capacity of 160 kilometers per hour.

The travel time between the two cities is expected to fall to three-and-a-half hours from the current 12 hours as a result of the project, for which the first phase of development may require US$2.6 billion of financing. (bbn)