Jakarta, 20 December 2023 (TDI): China-backed first-ever bullet train “Whoosh” in Indonesia has delivered more than 700,000 passengers in 2.5 months only. It is Southeast Asia’s first ever-high-speed bullet train connecting the capital Jakarta with the city of Bandung.
Recently, Chinese ambassador Lu Kang to Indonesia proclaimed, “Whoosh has delivered more than 700,000 passengers since it was officially put into commercial operation.”
President Joko Widodo and First Lady Iriana inaugurated the “Whoosh” train on Monday, 2nd October 2023. Being a part of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) infrastructure initiative, it is largely funded by China. Moreover, this $7.3 billion project is the first phase of the Jakarta-Surabaya medium high-speed train project.
At the inaugural ceremony, President Joko Widodo proudly introduced it to the crowd and said, “The Jakarta-Bandung high-speed train is the first high-speed train in Indonesia, and the first in Southeast Asia, with a speed of 350 kilometers per hour.”
Whoosh is also an acronym of Bahasa Indonesian words “Waktu Hemat, Operasi Optimal, Sistem Hebat,” meaning “timesaving, optimal operation, great system.” During the ceremony President also explained that “the name is inspired by the sound of a rushing high-speed train”.
Train Route
The train’s maximum speed is 350 kilometers per hour or 217 miles per hour. It covers 142 kilometers distance by passing through four stations. Starting from Halim railway station in East Jakarta, it passes through Karawang and Padalarang stations before arriving at Bandung city. Besides, Woosh has reduced the travel time between Jakarta and Bandung to 45 minutes.
The train consists of 8 cars having a capacity of 601 passengers. It is a technologically equipped train with USB ports and Wi-Fi service. Besides, it has three classes of seats i.e., first, second, and VIP.
Also Read: 46 coaches of high-speed rail sent to Pakistan from China
In the end, it is an environmentally friendly train as it reduces carbon footprints. President Joko Widodo also called it “a symbol of Indonesia modernization in public transport that is environmentally friendly”.
){kind=link}