According to West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil, the Jakarta-Bandung Fast Train (KCJB) will be free for the first three months of operation. This was demonstrated by his post on his official social media account.
Governor Ridwan stated in a tweet he published on the 22nd of June 2023 that the the Jakarta-Bandung Fast Train commercial launch on the 18th of August is still on schedule. Furthermore, riders can ride for free for the first three months of the service.
To commemorate the the Jakarta-Bandung Fast Train debut, Ridwan tweeted that Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Pandjaitan had approved the offer of free trips. There have not been any specifics about the free trips, but it is assumed there will be some registration process.
In addition, a video of Ridwan and Luhut boarding the Jakarta-Bandung Fast Train as it made its trial run from Jakarta to Bandung is included in the tweet.
“354 km/h is the speed this high-speed train reached during the trial. Extraordinary. Halim to Padalarang in just 20 minutes,” they said, referring to East Jakarta and West Bandung stations.
Governor Ridwan performed a “coin test” in the video to check if a coin he placed on its side on a table would tumble if the ride weren’t smooth. Turns out t did not move an inch.
The 142-kilometre train route will take 35 minutes to travel between Jakarta and Bandung, two of Indonesia’s most populated and significant cities economically. Driving between the two cities might take up to three hours daily with less traffic congestion.
On the outskirts of Bandung, the Jakarta-Bandung Fast Train will stop at four stations: Halim, Karawang, Padalarang, and Tegalluar. Those departing from Tegalluar must take a feeder bus or head to the centre of Bandung.
Due to difficulties with site acquisition, financial overruns, and the COVID-19 epidemic, the project of the Jakarta-Bandung Fast Train started in 2016 has had several difficulties and delays. The initial budget of USD 5.5 billion has risen to USD 7.2 billion, which the Indonesian government has agreed to pay for out of the state budget.
The Jakarta-Bandung Fast Train is the first phase of a projected 750-kilometre route stretching across Java, stopping in Kertajati, Yogyakarta, Solo, and Surabaya.
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