Indonesia Launches 1st High-Speed Railway Funded by China

The railway connects Jakarta and Bandung at speeds up to 217 miles per hour, the fastest in Southeast Asia.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo (on screen) delivers opening remarks at the opening of the G20 finance ministers meeting in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Feb. 17, 2022. Bay Ismoyo/AFP/Getty Images

Indonesia on Oct. 2 introduced Southeast Asia’s first-ever high-speed railway, part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which will help to connect two of the country’s largest cities.

President Joko Widodo inaugurated the 88-mile rail at the Halim station in Jakarta. The railway connects Jakarta and Bandung, and its trains travel at speeds up to 217 miles per hour, the fastest in Southeast Asia.