Jakarta | January 17, 2024
According to Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi, Indonesia is investigating the possibilities of constructing the infrastructure for an autonomous rail rapid transit (ART) in Nusantara Capital City (IKN). He made this announcement on Friday during a meeting with his Chinese colleague Li Xiaopeng in Beijing.
Budi expressed the intention of the Indonesian government to utilize China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation (CRRC), a state-owned manufacturer, to create ART trains for the country’s new capital located in East Kalimantan.
He went on to say that there was a strong commitment between the two nations to keep improving their collaboration in building transportation infrastructure.
According to Tempo.co, Budi stated, “The Whoosh Jakarta-Bandung high-speed rail is a manifestation of bilateral cooperation, which is now operating and has received high enthusiasm from the public.”
It has been claimed that CRRC intends to showcase an ART train car at an expo in Nusantara in July. This offers a chance to showcase the capabilities of the autonomous rail service.
According to Budi, “one train has three cars and can carry 307 passengers. It can travel at a maximum speed of 70 kph and 40 kph during operation.”
The train travels on regular streets alongside automobiles and buses without the need for a dedicated track.
“Virtual rail following control” technology is adopted by an ART train, which “achieves unmanned driving” by precisely maintaining the train on the predetermined virtual trajectory by using the sensor onboard to identify the virtual trail on the ground and giving command via the central control unit.”
According to a post that Budi Karya Sumadi (@budikaryas) posted on Sunday to his Instagram account, he also went to a CRRC facility and rode an ART train.
In a video clip uploaded to Instagram, he states, “As we can see, there is no railway, there is only a small magnet [for guidance].”
In addition, Budi mentioned that he had requested Beijing’s assistance in luring private capital to railway construction initiatives in a number of Indonesian towns, including Bandung, Semarang, and Makassar.
In addition to talking about the potential for creating an ART service in Nusantara, the minister extended an invitation to China to make investments in Indonesia’s aviation industry, particularly in smaller regional airports.
Additionally, Budi stated that he intended to work with China on educational and training initiatives to enhance the human capital in the marine industry.
The deputy for infrastructure and facilities at the IKN Authority, Silvia Halim, stated separately that her department was in contact with the Ministry of Transportation on the creation of an ART service in the new capital.
According to Silvia, trackless train technology presents both opportunities and difficulties for Nusantara, as reported by news portal Detik.com.
She clarified that not all places could be served by the automated train because the ART system needed a designated corridor and the new capital was situated in a hilly area.