Indonesia's Whoosh High-Speed Rail Exceeds 10 Mln Passengers
By Mohd Iswandi Kasan Anuar
JAKARTA, June 26 (Bernama) -- Indonesia's Jakarta–Bandung high-speed train, locally known as Whoosh, has carried more than 10 million passengers since its commercial launch in October 2023, the train operator said on Thursday.
PT Kereta Cepat Indonesia China (KCIC) said the milestone was reached between Oct 17, 2023 and June 25, 2025, with 10,014,707 passengers recorded across 29,786 journeys.
bootstrap slideshow
'This figure reflects strong public enthusiasm for Whoosh,' said KCIC general manager for corporate secretary, Eva Chairunisa, in a statement.
She said passenger uptake had been aided by transport integration efforts, including links to feeder trains, the Greater Jakarta LRT, bus services, and taxis.
Eva cited a finding from a study by the University of Indonesia's research centre that the train emits 6.9 grammes of CO₂ per passenger-kilometre, compared to 12.7 grammes from private vehicles.
The train has also helped reduce carbon emissions by up to 54 per cent, while potentially saving approximately 2.91 billion rupiah (about US$180,000) per year in traffic accident-related costs, she added.
The Whoosh high-speed rail project began in 2015, with construction starting in 2016. It entered service in 2023, making Indonesia the first country in Southeast Asia to operate a high-speed rail network.
The project is part of a broader infrastructure push backed by Chinese investment under Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Borneo Post
an hour ago
- Borneo Post
Labuan-KK airfare soars to RM1,207, surpassing flights to Seoul, Bangkok
LABUAN (June 26): Residents and frequent travellers from this duty-free island are voicing growing frustration over skyrocketing airfares for the short Labuan–Kota Kinabalu route, with prices now outpacing even international flights to destinations such as Bangkok and Seoul. For many in Labuan, air travel is not a luxury but a necessity, yet tickets for the roughly 35-minute domestic flight are being sold at rates as high as RM1,207 for a one-way trip on July 2. By comparison, longer international flights from Kota Kinabalu to Bangkok, which take about three hours, start at RM411, while flights to Seoul, a journey of over five hours, are priced from RM661. David Lee, 49, who frequently travels between the two locations for oil and gas business, told Bernama the fares were 'absurd' and 'unacceptable'. 'I was planning my usual trip to Kota Kinabalu for a meeting and was shocked to see fares exceeding RM1,200. How can a flight under one hour cost more than an international trip to Korea?' he said. Another traveller, Nurul Shafiqah Abdullah, 34, a government officer based in Labuan, said such fare hikes were putting a strain on those who rely on the route for essential reasons. 'This isn't a holiday route. It's a lifeline for many who depend on travelling for medical check-ups, work commitments or family matters. These prices are pushing people to the edge,' she said. For Raymond Chong, 41, who runs a logistics company, the limited choice of carriers only adds to the frustration. 'It's either MasWings or Malaysia Airlines, sometimes small planes, sometimes a Boeing. There's no real competition, so you either pay or don't go,' he said. Local entrepreneur Faridah Musa, 45, urged the federal government and aviation authorities to address the pricing mechanism, calling the issue more than just a travel inconvenience. 'We are an island with no road access. Flights are essential, not optional. At this point, it's not just an inconvenience, it's an economic disadvantage for us.' She said calls are mounting for transparency in fare structures and for greater efforts to introduce more airline competition to ensure affordable travel for the people of Labuan. – Bernama
Barnama
2 hours ago
- Barnama
Johor Undertaking 33 Beautification, Landscape Projects Worth RM152.44 Mln
JOHOR BAHRU, June 26 (Bernama) – The Johor government, in collaboration with all 16 local authorities (PBTs), is currently undertaking 33 beautification and landscaping projects across the state, valued at RM152.44 million. Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi said the projects include upgrades to recreational parks, pedestrian walkways, heritage areas, public art murals, tourism infrastructure, urban lighting and strategic visual markers, all aimed at directly improving the quality of life for the people. He said the allocation includes RM2.92 million for upgrading Taman Bandar Bukit Layang-Layang in conjunction with the National Landscape Day 2025 programme, RM1.48 million for landscape and beautification works at TMIYC Pasir Gudang, and RM30 million for infrastructure and beautification in the Johor Bahru City Centre. 'Each of these projects brings direct benefits to the people in the form of more comfortable recreational spaces, a more attractive urban environment, job opportunities in the landscape and tourism sectors, and an enhanced city image that encourages investor interest,' he said. He was speaking at the launch of the National Landscape Day 2025 celebration at the national level, officiated by Che' Puan Mahkota Khaleeda, the wife of the Regent of Johor. Also present were Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming and Johor Housing and Local Government Committee chairman Datuk Mohd Jafni Md Shukor. Onn Hafiz said Johor is the only state to have its own State Landscape Department, demonstrating its commitment to systematic and integrated landscape development. According to data from the Department of Statistics Malaysia, the landscape industry contributed RM39.4 billion to the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2024, with Johor having the highest number of nurseries in Malaysia, accounting for 87 per cent of the national total. 'This development not only reflects the rapid growth of the landscape sector, but also strengthens its position as one of the country's promising new economic drivers,' he said.
Barnama
2 hours ago
- Barnama
Strait Of Hormuz Never Closed Amid Attacks
A map showing the Strait of Hormuz and Iran is seen in this illustration taken June 22, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration KUALA LUMPUR, June 26 (Bernama) -- The Strait of Hormuz was never closed during the 12-day attack on Iran, said Iranian Ambassador to Malaysia Valiollah Mohammadi Nasrabadi. He said Iran always tries to keep the Persian Gulf and the region "quiet, under control, and in the best possible security", as it is an energy trade hub. "There are no obstacles to movement to and from Hormuz. It remains open. Unfortunately, there is a lot of propaganda," he told the media at the Iranian embassy on Thursday. bootstrap slideshow The Strait of Hormuz plays a crucial role in global energy and trade, acting as a strategic passageway for oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments from the Middle East. This narrow waterway, linking the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman, handles a significant share of the world's energy supply, with about one-third of maritime crude oil exports and around 20 per cent of global oil use transported through it each day. The Strait of Hormuz serves as a significant conduit for the daily transport of around 20 million barrels of oil and petroleum products, much of which is destined for Asian markets, particularly China. A large share of Iran's oil exports to China also flows through this critical maritime route. The ambassador said that during the 12-day attack on Iran, daily life and business continued as usual, with the banks still operating and people on the streets chanting anti-Israel slogans whenever they saw missiles. 'They (Israel) want to do damage to us, but the attacks have united the Iranians in the country and around the world," he said.
