Indonesia launched its first high-speed railway last month, which links Jakarta and Bandung. It cuts travel time between two key cities by more than two hours.

The railway is named Whoosh, a Bahasa Indonesia acronym that translates to time-saving and reliable. Hopefully, it will help ease the area’s traffic jams and carbon emissions.

The project has been beset with delays and increasing costs, and some observers doubt its commercial benefits.

The railway connects Jakarta with Bandung, the heavily populated capital of West Java province, and will cut travel time between the cities from the current three hours to about 40 minutes. The nation touts its new railway as the fastest in Southeast Asia, with speeds of up to 350 kph (217 mph). The new railway service covers a total distance of 88 miles, but it will likely be expanded across Java.

“The Jakarta-Bandung high-speed train marks the modernization of our mass transportation, which is efficient and environmentally friendly,” said Indonesia’s President Widodo.

“Our courage to try new things gives us confidence and the opportunity to learn and will be very useful for the future, making our human resources more advanced and our nation more independent,” he added.

The trains have been modified for Indonesia’s tropical climate and are equipped with a safety system that can respond to earthquakes, floods and other emergency conditions. The 209-meter (685-foot) train has a capacity of 601 passengers.

Ticket prices had not been finalized as of Monday, but PT KCIC estimated one-way prices per passenger would range from 250,000 rupiah ($16) for second class to 350,000 rupiah ($22.60) for VIP seats.

Passengers going to downtown Bandung must take a feeder train from the Padalarang station that adds a further 20 minutes, with an estimated cost about 50,000 rupiah ($3.20).

Indonesian officials say the high-speed railway is expected to improve economic productivity, while promoting more tourism.

The trains are powered by electricity, which will help reduce the country’s carbon footprint.

The Indonesian government is planning an extension of the Whoosh high-speed train from Bandung to Surabaya, East Java. The extension would be approximately 700 kilometers long and would reduce the travel time between Jakarta and Surabaya to just 3.5 hours.

If the project is approved, it will be completed by 2030. The extension would have a major impact on transportation and economic development in Indonesia, making it easier and faster for people and goods to travel between the two major cities. The bullet train’s speed will mainly appeal to business travellers and tourists.

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