The government is targeting the railway lines operating in 2030 to reach 13,000 kilometers.
Commitment to infrastructure development remains a pillar of Joko Widodo Government policy in the second period. In addition to continuing to improve infrastructure in Java, the government is also very concerned about development outside of Java.
One of the infrastructure developments is to build several railway networks in various regions in the country. A new railway network has been built, especially in several regions outside Java, such as Sulawesi, Kalimantan, and Sumatra. The goal is to expand the scope of train services.
According to data from the Directorate General of Railways of the Ministry of Transportation, the government is targeting the railway operating in the coming 2030 to reach 13,000 kilometers (km). To date, the length of the existing railway lines is only 6,000 km.
It must be admitted that the achievement is still relatively small when compared to the vast territory of Indonesia. Therefore, the government is committed to continuing to build railway lines, especially outside Java. That is one of the reasons why the government commitment to boost infrastructure development outside of Java is quite strong.
The Directorate General of Railways also stated that to realize the target of the 13,000 km railway line in 2030, huge funding reaching USD65.5 billion was needed. The budget is allocated for infrastructure development (USD30 billion) and procurement of train cars (USD35.5 billion).
Unfortunately, the government will only be able to allocate around 36% of the State Budget to support the development. The remaining 64% of the budget will be raised through SOE and private funding which is also known as the public-private partnership (PPP) scheme.
The Directorate General of Railways appreciates these efforts as a form of government commitment to meet the community need for reliable and adequate railway connectivity facilities and infrastructure.
Thus, community economic activities and the smooth distribution of commodities can also be supported. Railway services will gradually affect economic growth in the beneficiary areas.
Since railway service offers many advantages, it has always been the preferred mode of land transportation for the public. Those advantages have formed public perception to use the service.
In addition to the matter of timeliness of departing and arriving, trains are capable of carrying large numbers of passengers and goods for a single trip. This factor is driving the government through the Ministry of Transportation to continuously increase the quantity and quality of railway supporting infrastructure so that it will be able to serve the community more optimally.
West Papua
The railway network in West Papua is one of the infrastructures currently being developed by the government. The implementation is expected to begin this year. At present, an analysis study on environmental impacts as well as land acquisition and settlement work plans are claimed to have been carried out.
“We are putting our best effort that the groundbreaking will be carried out this year. We continue to coordinate with the Directorate General of Railways,” said Head of Railways Division of the West Papua Province Transportation Department, Max L Sabarofek, as reported by Antara on Monday (6/1//2020). Max explained that train infrastructure development will start from Sorong. In the first phase, the construction will be conducted for the first 75 kilometers.
A survey team has collected data on land and buildings including those related to land acquisition in the field. Hopefully, the budget for the construction of the railway line, especially for the land acquisition, will come from all government levels. Overall, the railway line that will be built from Sorong to Manokwari will reach 500 kilometers.
The construction of the railway line will start from Sorong City towards Sorong Regency because Sorong’s infrastructure is already very adequate. Subsequently, it will continue to South Sorong and Maybrat Regencies then headed to Teluk Bintuni Regency until it reaches the South Manokwari Regency and Manokwari Regency, the capital of West Papua Province.
According to the plan, referring to the presentation of the Directorate General of Railways of the Ministry of Transportation, the construction of the railway line in West Papua Province will take three years.
The government is indeed expecting to have connectivity between regions by developing infrastructure. The development of railway networks will also encourage the regional economy even though it is recognized that infrastructure development has not been profitable on a business basis.
In the historical context, the development of the railway networks in the Dutch colonial era was carried out in unpopulated areas. However, once the network was completed, the economy will also increase and regional potentials will be utilized.
Building infrastructure as one of the government policies is indeed a right means for the benefit of the country. Railway networks development in Kalimantan, Sulawesi or Papua, is expected to contribute revenue to the government, due to those regions abundant resources.
In addition to building railway networks, the government must prepare local human resources to operate the railway-related facilities. This is important because the areas being developed at this time has not been served by the railway network.
“We don’t just develop physically; we must also prepare the institutional aspect and human resources. We have a railways academy. While building physical railways, we must also educate the people,” Max concluded. (F-1)
