President Prabowo calls for railway infra development outside of Java

Jakarta (ANTARA) – President Prabowo Subianto instructed that railway infrastructure development must be expanded to other regions of Indonesia, rather than being solely focused on Java Island.This was conveyed by Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono (AHY) after a meeting with the President at the Presidential Palace, Jakarta, on Monday.”We must remember that development should not only be carried out in Java, but also in various other Indonesian regions,” he asserted.AHY noted that the instruction is part of efforts to strengthen national connectivity, noting that the Indonesian government is committed to presenting a rail transportation system capable of increasing public mobility while simultaneously supporting regional economic growth.According to him, the construction of railway networks in regions such as Sumatra, Kalimantan, and Sulawesi is expected to create new economic hubs and strengthen connectivity between strategic industrial areas and special economic zones across various regions.”It is essential for us to oversee connectivity and supporting infrastructure for land, sea, and air transportation, including railways, because they are not only for public mobility, but also for boosting the economy in various regions,” the minister said.He explained that the railway remains a favorite mode of transportation in Indonesia, with the number of users reaching approximately 500 million passengers per year, or about 1.6 million passengers every day.To this end, the government sees the need to continuously develop the railway transport to become more modern, comfortable, safe, and affordable for the public.In addition to passenger transport, the government is also encouraging the utilization of railways as the primary mode for logistics distribution, such as commodities like coal and palm oil.AHY assessed that strengthening the railway networks could help reduce the burden on land transport and mitigate road damage caused by overloaded vehicles.