Indonesian president takes ride on Jakarta-Bandung High-speed Railway

Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Wednesday took a ride on the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway (HSR), a landmark project under the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative.

Widodo examined the construction progress at Halim Station in the capital Jakarta, and took the train to the Padalarang Station in West Java province.

The Indonesian president described the ride experience as smooth and comfortable. He hoped that the Indonesian people will use public transportation more frequently so as to ease the traffic pressure between Jakarta and Bandung.

"I've made four inspections to this project and this is my first time to take a ride. It's comfortable. Even when the speed reached 350 kilometers per hour, I didn't feel bumpy, either standing or sitting. This is an advancement of civilization," said Widodo.

The Jakarta-Bandung HSR connects Indonesia's capital Jakarta and West Java's provincial capital Bandung.

With a design speed of 350 km per hour, the railway spanning 142.3 km will cut the journey between the two cities from over three hours to around 40 minutes.

It is the first overseas high-speed railway project that fully uses Chinese railway systems, technology, and industrial components.