STORY: Jakarta-Bandung High-speed Railway starts official operation
DATELINE: Oct. 18, 2023
LENGTH: 0:01:45
LOCATION: Jakarta
CATEGORY: SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway (HSR)
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): OCTANUS TANTAN, Indonesian passenger
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): RONALD, Indonesian passenger
4. various of the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway (HSR)
5. SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): ZHANG CHAO, Finance and risk director of PT Kereta Cepat Indonesia-China (KCIC)

STORYLINE:

The Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway (HSR), a landmark project of the Belt and Road Initiative, started official operation on Tuesday.

The 142.3-km high-speed line connects Indonesia's capital city Jakarta and the fourth-largest city Bandung.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): OCTANUS TANTAN, Indonesian passenger
"It feels very comfortable. And it seems it's a new train. It's unbelievable to have such a nice way of transportation here."

SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): RONALD, Indonesian passenger
"It's way faster than I thought it to be. I did not expect that in just 30 minutes, we could travel from Jakarta to West Bandung, and in 45 minutes, we arrive in East Bandung. The speed can reach up to 350 kilometers per hour and it is also very stable. As an Indonesian citizen, I am very much looking forward to the construction of a high-speed rail from Jakarta to Surabaya as soon as possible, and hopefully, it can be built by China."

Jakarta-Bandung HSR is also the first overseas construction project that fully uses Chinese railway systems, technology and industrial components.

SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): ZHANG CHAO, Finance and risk director of PT Kereta Cepat Indonesia-China (KCIC)
"Though the HSR is only one of the projects under the BRI, it's a shining example of made in China, built by China, Chinese standards, and Chinese speed. The high-speed train offers comfortable experiences with advanced technologies, which is impressive for many local people and makes them feel proud as their country is the first in Southeast Asia to own a high-speed railway. Besides, the railway represents real pragmatic cooperation that has brought fruitful results."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Jakarta.
(XHTV)