Indonesia's President Joko Widodo (second right) speaks during the inauguration of the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed train named 'Whoosh' at Halim station in Jakarta on Oct 2, 2023. (PHOTO / AFP)

JAKARTA - Indonesian President Joko Widodo declared the official operation of the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway (HSR) at Halim Station in Jakarta Monday morning.

At the ceremony, Widodo said the HSR, with a speed of 350 km per hour, is the first high-speed train in Indonesia and Southeast Asia, marking the modernization of Indonesia's transportation mode.

The high-speed line is a flagship project that synergizes the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative and Indonesia's Global Maritime Fulcrum strategy, and also a signature project of pragmatic cooperation between China and Indonesia

He announced the name of the HSR, "Whoosh," inspired by the sound of the train, and declared that "Whoosh" was ready to be operated.

Representatives from the Chinese Embassy in Indonesia, China Railway International Group, and PT Kereta Cepat Indonesia-China (KCIC) attended the ceremony.

The Indonesian Transportation Ministry issued an operating license to the KCIC last Friday, a joint venture consortium between Indonesian and Chinese firms that constructs and runs the HSR.

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The high-speed line, spanning 142.3 km and connecting Indonesia's capital city Jakarta and the 4th largest city Bandung, is a flagship project that synergizes the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative and Indonesia's Global Maritime Fulcrum strategy, and also a signature project of pragmatic cooperation between China and Indonesia.

The Jakarta-Bandung high-speed train named 'Whoosh' is seen during the inauguration at Halim station in Jakarta on Oct 2, 2023. (PHOTO / AFP)

It was the first time that Chinese railway systems, technology and industrial components were fully used in HSR construction project overseas.