Indonesia's Minister of Transportation recently announced that the government is actively soliciting investment from domestic and international sources, with a focus on attracting Chinese, Russian, and local capital to push forward the new Trans-Kalimantan Railway project and the Trans-Sumatra Railway upgrade and expansion. This infrastructure acceleration stems from a special directive by President Prabowo, requiring the Ministry of Transportation and state railway company KAI to speed up the implementation of the two national railway networks and improve Indonesia's east-west main transportation system. The minister stated that the ministry has completed coordination with KAI, and the company has compiled a complete project development roadmap. Investment solicitation for the two railway projects is progressing in tandem; for the Trans-Sumatra Railway, some sections have already been completed and opened to traffic, and at this stage only the remaining connecting lines need to be built to complete the network.
In contrast, the Trans-Kalimantan Railway is a brand-new infrastructure project requiring planning and construction from scratch, with a larger investment scale and construction scope.
On the overseas investment cooperation front, Indonesia has formally engaged with multiple international investors, among which China and Russia have shown clear interest in cooperating on the Kalimantan railway project. Currently, communication and negotiations have been fully initiated, with Chinese and Russian investors conducting commercial assessments of the project and later submitting formal cooperation proposals to Indonesian authorities. The minister admitted that the construction priority of the two railway projects has not yet been determined, and the final pace will depend on the feasibility studies from the investors. In terms of investment preferences, Indonesia's domestic railway company KAI tends to focus on upgrading logistics infrastructure in the Sumatra region, while Chinese and Russian foreign capital is particularly interested in the development potential of the new Kalimantan railway project.
The Indonesian government will flexibly adjust the project implementation pace based on the assessment results of all parties, and even strive to launch both projects simultaneously.
Previously, President Prabowo outlined infrastructure plans at the inauguration ceremony for the renovated Tawang Station in Semarang, designating the Trans-Sumatra Railway as a priority project. This line runs from Bakauheni in Lampung Province to the northernmost tip of Sumatra, serving as core infrastructure to connect north-south transport in Sumatra and boost regional trade and economy. The president explicitly required the Ministry of Transportation and KAI to take on the challenge, proactively undertake major infrastructure projects, vigorously promote the expansion and upgrade of Indonesia's national railway network, and facilitate regional economic connectivity.
