STORY: Indonesia's first high-speed railway heralds new era
DATELINE: Oct. 13, 2023
LENGTH: 00:02:50
LOCATION: Jakarta
CATEGORY: SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): GUO LEI, Head of the design department of the High-Speed Railway Contractor Consortium
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): ZHANG FANGTAO, Chief designer of the EMUs, CRRC Qingdao Sifang Co., Ltd.
4. SOUNDBITE 3 (Indonesian): DWIYANA SLAMET RIYADI, President director of PT Kereta Cepat Indonesia-China (KCIC)
5. SOUNDBITE 4 (English): GALANG SWANDARU, Engineer at the high-speed railway project department of China Tiesiju Civil Engineering Group
6. SOUNDBITE 5 (Indonesian): KHAIRUL IKMAL, Local welder at Sinohydro Bureau 7
7. SOUNDBITE 6 (English): RIDWAN KAMIL, Former governor of West Java province

STORYLINE:

The Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway is a landmark project of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative.

The 142-kilometer railway cuts the journey between the two cities from over three hours to roughly 40 minutes.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): GUO LEI, Head of the design department of the High-Speed Railway Contractor Consortium
"In terms of construction technology, we have applied a large number of scientific and technological achievements based on the local climate, cultural beliefs, and operational conditions in Indonesia, filling many gaps in the Indonesian railway system."

SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): ZHANG FANGTAO, Chief designer of the EMUs, CRRC Qingdao Sifang Co., Ltd.
"The high-speed trains of the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway, based on the local natural environment and railway conditions, have undergone various adaptive improvements by incorporating Indonesia's local culture."

SOUNDBITE 3 (Indonesian): DWIYANA SLAMET RIYADI, President director of PT Kereta Cepat Indonesia-China (KCIC)
"We are confident that China possesses a well-established railway system. So from the start, we agreed to use a Chinese high-speed train for the Jakarta-Bandung HSR project. Using this standard will be definitely very good for us in the future. The Jakarta-Bandung HSR project has indeed provided employment opportunities for the Indonesian people."

27-year-old Galang Swandaru has witnessed the construction of Tegalluar Station of the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway, which covers an area of 2,900 square meters.

SOUNDBITE 4 (English): GALANG SWANDARU, Engineer at the high-speed railway project department of China Tiesiju Civil Engineering Group
"This is my first job so I learned everything, practical knowledge that I cannot find in college. So in here, I learned actually how to build a building and how to construct everything."

SOUNDBITE 5 (Indonesian): KHAIRUL IKMAL, Local welder at Sinohydro Bureau 7
"After working at Sinohydro for 5 years, my family's financial situation has greatly improved. With this project here, many people from Malangnengah are working on this high-speed railway. They are also experiencing the project's benefits in terms of financial gains and improved skills."

According to statistics provided by Kereta Cepat Indonesia China, the project has created about 51,000 jobs in Indonesia.

SOUNDBITE 6 (English): RIDWAN KAMIL, Former governor of West Java province
"I've been witnessing when you provide better infrastructure, the new economy will come. After the high-speed train, there is a reason to stay, to work, to live. The high-speed train is not only bringing people but also creating new economic growth. So I think the high-speed train will become the symbol of good relationship between China and Indonesia."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Jakarta.
(XHTV)