Minister of Transportation Budi Karya Sumadi says Indonesia is exploring the development of an Automated Rail Transit (ART) in the Nusantara Capital City (IKN), seeking partnership with State-owned China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation (CRRC).
The plan was revealed by Minister Budi Karya during a meeting with the Minister of Transportation of the People’s Republic of China, Li Xiaopeng, in Beijing, China, on January 12, 2024. During the meeting, Budi conveyed the Indonesian government’s interest in utilizing a set of autonomous trains manufactured by the CRRC for operations in IKN.
“A set of trains consists of three carriages, with a capacity of 307 passengers, an operational speed of 40 km/h, and a maximum speed of 70 km/h,” Budi Karya said.
Established in 2015, CRRC is a Chinese state-owned and publicly traded rolling stock manufacturer. It is the world’s largest rolling stock manufacturer in terms of revenue, eclipsing its major competitors of French’s Alstom and Germany’s Siemens.
CRRC is reportedly planning to bring a unit of the Automated Rail Transit to Indonesia as part of an exhibition to be held at IKN in July 2024. This will serve as a demonstration of the capabilities of autonomous trains.
In addition to discussing the railway sector, Budi Karya sought China’s support in inviting private entities to invest in railway projects in Indonesia. He proposed collaboration for the development of railway projects in cities such as Bandung, Semarang, and Makassar.
Expanding the scope of collaboration, Budi Karya invited China to invest in the aviation sector, particularly to meet the needs of flight services in areas with relatively short runways. He also expressed hopes for cooperation in enhancing human resources in the aviation industry.
In the maritime sector, the Minister of Transportation explored potential collaboration in improving human resources through various education and training programs in maritime-related fields.
During his visit to China, Budi Karya held meetings with various entities, including the Chairman of CRRC, Mr. Yongcai Sun, and the Chairman of Huawei. He also engaged in discussions with the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce in China (Inacham) in Shanghai. Accompanying him were the Director General of Railways, Risal Wasal, and the Director General of Air Transportation, Maria Kristi.
