Indonesia in negotiations with China to finalize fast-train project: minister

An Indonesian minister said on Thursday that negotiations between Indonesian and Chinese consortiums to build a high-speed rail transport system linking Jakarta to West Java province capital of Bandung were underway at the moment.

Speaking in a press conference, Indonesia State-owned Enterprises (SoE) Minister Rini Soemarno said the joint venture agreement of the project between the two consortiums was highly expected to be reached later this month.

The two consortiums are negotiating to finalize all aspects of the project, she said, emphasizing that funds to finance the project would not come from the government.

"The president has decided that this project cannot be financed by state budget or guaranteed by government. Indonesian government is now concentrated to build train transport systems in Sumatra, Kalimantan and Sulawesi. So, no government's money would be used to finance the project," the minister said.

According to Rini, the would-be built high-speed train plying Jakarta to Bandung route back and forth was highly expected to have a speed of between 200 to 250 kilometer per hour.

"But it would be depended on the results of the negotiations," Rini said.

The fast train serving the two cities would pass through four stations, one in Jakarta and three in West Java province, she said, adding one of the stations will be in Walini, the area in West Bandung designed to be a new tourism center in West Java.

The project, which is expected to finish within three years, would require around 5.5 billion U.S. dollars.

The minister previously rejected proposal to build the Jakarta- Bandung fast train project filed in by Japan for Japan's requirement on government's assurance and funding to the project.

The Indonesian government decided on Sept. 3 to abandon a high- speed railway project and instead asked the two bidders -- China and Japan -- to submit new plans to build a slower train. Endi