Nearly 2 years on, Indonesia's high-speed rail service is bleeding money

Some observers skeptical even as sovereign wealth fund helps to address mounting debt

- Arlina Arshad

JAKARTA - Hardly making any noise, the bullet train hurls past West Java's rice fields as it races from the nation's capital towards Bandung, Indonesia's third-largest city.

This is Whoosh, the country's and South-east Asia's — first high-speed rail service, with the trains able to cover the 142km separating the two cities in just 45 minutes.

The trains servicing the route can reach 350kmh, though their speed varies along the journey — with the passengers hearing only a whisper-soft hum.

Twelve train sets, including one for inspection, operate on the line. All were designed and built in China but customized for Indonesia's tropical climate and seismic risks.

Whoosh has largely lived up to its name since it was launched in October 2023.

The sleek red-and-silver trains glide in and out of stations with clockwork precision. Inside, amid plush reclining seats, carpeted floors and digital displays, attendants in crisp uniforms create an air of calm efficiency as they guide passengers and help with luggage.

"I'm so proud of Indonesia's progress; the ride is so smooth, quiet and fast," says Ms Eka Rani, a 36-year-old marketing officer, as she settles into her seat on the train from Jakarta.

"The ride is too short to spend time working on my laptop, so I shall just relax and enjoy the scenery."

The journey begins at Halim station in Jakarta and ends at Tegalluar Summarecon station on the outskirts of Bandung, with brief stops at Karawang and Padalarang along the way.

By June 2025, Whoosh had ferried more than 10 million passengers on some 30,000 trips.

And in a country long plagued by congested roads and ageing railways, it became a symbol of Indonesia's infrastructure ambitions.