There in a whoosh: A high-speed train running on the Jakarta-Bandung HSR in Padalarang. — Xinhua
Walking out of Tegalluar station of the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway (HSR), locally known as Whoosh, in Indonesia’s Bandung city, people will find a number of kiosks selling snacks, food and beverages. The area outside the station is now busy with food sellers.
The situation was very different a few months ago, precisely in early October last year, when Whoosh was first launched and the station had just completed construction. It was quiet and all that could be seen were rice fields and barren fields.
Siti Fatimah, 30, one of the kiosk owners, said that she opened her kiosk at her 18sq m house near the station when the Whoosh train started operation. She sells fried snacks and some meals.
In the morning, she usually has porridge on her menu. She was previously a housewife with one daughter, while her husband is a construction worker.
“Before I opened this kiosk, I had no income. Now I can earn even more than my husband, particularly during holidays,” she said.
Next to Fatimah’s kiosk is a stall owned by 43-year-old Suprijatna which sells beverages, including coffee and tea. He has been operating his kiosk since March.
With the operation of Tegalluar station, Suprijatna saw an opportunity to sell beverages to earn additional income, while still working in the rice field for at least two days a week.
High traffic: Passengers checking in at the waiting hall at Halim Station in Jakarta. — Xinhua
“Now I can earn more to fulfil my family needs. Before selling beverages, I could only earn 500,000 rupiah (RM145) a month. Now I can obtain at least 1mil rupiah (RM290).
“The presence of this station is a blessing for local people like us,” he said.
Suprijatna said most of his customers were construction workers who worked for the station, but recently there were more HSR passengers shopping at his kiosk before continuing their journey by shuttle buses.
Not only outside the station, there are also dozens of stalls and kiosks selling food and beverages inside Tegalluar station.
Passengers can enjoy a variety of culinary delights served by local micro and small-medium enterprises (MSMEs).
The Whoosh high-speed train has a design speed of 350kph, connecting Halim station in East Jakarta to Tegalluar station in Bandung.
Many reports said that the train raised curiosity from Indonesian public transport users as it could shorten the journey between the two cities from over three hours to about 40 minutes only.
Big hit: Passengers posing for photos with a train of the Jakarta-Bandung HSR on the platform of Halim Station in Jakarta. — Xinhua
In the inauguration of Whoosh last year, Indonesian President Joko Widodo expressed optimism that the HSR would bring many benefits to the Indonesian people. “It will provide multiplier effects, from new job opportunities, especially for local communities, to economic growth in areas crossed by high-speed train lines,” he said.
Being the first of its kind in Indonesia and South-East Asia, the Whoosh high-speed train reported a surge in passengers every holiday season.
PT Kereta Cepat Indonesia-China (KCIC), a joint venture consortium between Indonesian and Chinese state-owned firms that constructs and runs the HSR, reported that the train hit the mark of transporting two million passengers in early March.
During a long-weekend holiday in May, KCIC also recorded a spike in the volume of passengers, with an average of 21,000 passengers per day or a 30% increase compared to normal days.
“We had predicted this increase in passengers during the long holiday.
“That was why we operated 48 trips with 28,000 available seats per day,” KCIC General Manager Corporate Secretary Eva Chairunisa said in a statement.
Acting Governor of West Java Bey Machmudin has said that local MSME players had filled various kiosks at Padalarang station, a stop for the HSR before Tegalluar, and Tegalluar station.
“West Java residents welcome the Whoosh train and it must be utilised as best as possible to improve the community’s economy. Ahead, we hope the MSMEs can also work with tourism associations to provide tour packages in Bandung,” he said. — Xinhua
