JAKARTA: Indonesia’s first high-speed railway or bullet train, “Whoosh” launched last October last year, is still the only such mode of travel in Southeast Asia and the Southern Hemisphere.
Outgoing President Joko Widodo said the name was inspired by the sound of a rushing high-speed train. In reality, Whoosh stands for Waktu Hemat, Operasi Optimal, Sistem Hebat (Timesaving, Optimal Operation, Outstanding System).
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It is a single high-speed rail service that connects the two largest cities of Jakarta and Bandung in West Java.
A Sabah influencer, Etsy took a photo with Sabah Media, local influencers and AirAsia and Wonderful Indonesia team inside the business class of Whoosh.
At maximum capacity, the train can transport over 600 passengers per trip. It is operated by the Kereta Cepat Indonesia China (KCIC) Consortium (Indonesia-China Fast Train), a bilateral collaboration and costs USD7.3 billion.
A group of Sabah media, including Daily Express and local social influencers, were fortunate to experience travelling on board Whoosh through a familiarisation trip organised by the world’s largest low-cost airline, AirAsia and Wonderful Indonesia team under the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, recently.
Indonesia Air Asia officially reopened its exclusive direct flight from Jakarta to Kota Kinabalu on Feb 6, this year and it marked its first international route, this year.
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KCIC Corporate Communication Manager Emir Monti said Whoosh, which has a capacity of 602 seats, was due to China’s Belt and Road Initiative to improve transportation infrastructure.
The price for one way could cost between 250,000 Indonesian rupiah (RM73) and 600,000 rupiah (RM174).
“Construction started in 2015 and took seven years with the first commercial operation on Oct 17, 2023,” he said, adding that travel time has been cut drastically from three to four hours of driving to about 30 to 45 minutes.
The connectivity has also benefited tourism and education, as there are many universities in Bandung.
There are four stops – Halim, Karawang, Padalarang and Tegalluar – over the 142.3km track length, travelling at a top speed of 350km or 220 miles per hour.
“Those who have work meetings or have to attend business matters in Bandung or Jakarta, can spend a night, which is more efficient and cost-saving,” Emir said.
He said 55pc of passengers are tourists heading to Bandung, which has popular destinations like Gunung Tengkuban Prahu, Kawah Putih which have shopping areas, cafés and restaurants.
About 30pc are business travellers who commute between the two cities for business deals, meetings and transactions.
“These travellers need the efficiency of the high-speed train to facilitate their trips in less than an hour.
Emir said KCIC started with 14 trips a day and has since increased to 48 trips.
The earliest train from Jakarta is at 6.40am while the first train from Bandung is at 5.50am and the last train is at 8.30pm from both cities.
“There is an early trip from Bandung (at 5.50am) because a lot of people from Bandung work in Jakarta. “They have to go to office that starts at 7am (in Jakarta) and have to take the 5.50am trip.”
The Business Class seats inside the Whoosh that renders comfort, coziness and vast legroom.
The 602-seat capacity Whoosh has three distinct classes, with 19 seats allocated for first class, followed by 28 business class and 555 premium economy class.
“The first-class carriage features 18 faux leather seats arranged in a 1-2 configuration, while the business-class carriage accommodates 28 passengers in a 2-2 seating arrangement.
“The premium economy class, with 111 seats per carriage, tends to be more crowded.”
Emir said the premium economy class is the lowest class, but it was named premium economy because it has more legroom and more comfortable seats compared to the economy class of a regular train.
Whoosh has televisions that provide information for passengers and announcements when arriving at each station to notify them, apart from providing baggage room above their seats and a place for big luggage.
“Every seat has a folding table where the passengers can place their food and drinks or any electronic gadgets.
“The high-speed train also has a food cart and a mini café. Passengers can stand and drink coffee or tea and eat their snacks,” he said.
Travellers may buy the bullet train tickets either online or offline. They can buy at the ticket counters at the station or use the ticket vending machines to get the tickets.
“Those who wish to use QR Code can also use the existing ATM bank machines or use an e-wallet or GoPay or Grab Pay.
“While for online booking, travellers can buy from our official app at the KCIC website and some apps that have collaborations with KCIC,” Emir said.
Due to the overwhelming response, the Indonesian Government has agreed to conduct a feasibility study to extend to Surabaya which is the nation’s second-largest city and the capital of East Java province, about 700km from Jakarta.
The journey was smooth with no bumpy ride. Passengers could walk steadily to the restroom or even stop to chat with friends or family members.
