TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesia's Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has opened an investigation into alleged corruption in the Jakarta–Bandung high-speed train project, known as Whoosh. The probe has been underway since early 2025.
KPK spokesperson Budi Prasetyo confirmed that the investigation remains in its early stages. He declined to elaborate on the suspected irregularities but urged the public to share any information that could assist investigators.
“The investigative team continues to conduct searches and collect relevant data to uncover this case,” Budi said on Monday, October 27, 2025.
Financial Losses in the Whoosh Project
The Jakarta–Bandung high-speed train has been criticized for its persistent financial losses. According to Tempo’s weekly report published on August 30, 2025, PT Pilar Sinergi, the project operator, reported a Rp4.19 trillion loss in 2024.
The negative trend continued into the first half of 2025, with losses reaching Rp1.63 trillion.
PT Pilar Sinergi is a joint venture of four state-owned enterprises, namely PT KAI, PT Wijaya Karya, PT Jasa Marga, and PT Perkebunan Nusantara, formed to build and manage the high-speed rail connecting Jakarta and Bandung.
The Whoosh project is one of President Joko Widodo’s landmark infrastructure initiatives. Jokowi inaugurated the train on October 2, 2023, describing it as a milestone in Indonesia’s modernization of public transport.
“The Jakarta-Bandung fast train marks the beginning of efficient, environmentally friendly, and integrated public transportation in our country,” Jokowi said at the time.
Speaking recently from his residence in Surakarta, Central Java, Jokowi reiterated that the project was developed to tackle severe traffic congestion across the Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, Bekasi, and Bandung regions.
“Traffic congestion in Jakarta has been severe for 20 to 40 years. The Greater Jakarta and Bandung areas face the same issue,” Jokowi said on Monday, October 27, 2025.
He added that congestion causes major economic losses—Rp65 trillion annually in Jakarta and more than Rp100 trillion across Greater Jakarta and Bandung.
Public Service Over Profit
Jokowi emphasized that the primary goal of mass transportation projects like Whoosh is to serve the public, not to generate profit.
“The basic principle of public transportation is service. It’s not about profit, but about social benefits—social return on investment,” he said.
The president also acknowledged that the project’s initial losses had been anticipated. However, he expressed optimism that the train’s financial performance would improve over the next five to six years as passenger numbers increase and private vehicle usage declines.
“The first year may not be ideal, but if ridership grows every year, losses will shrink, and the EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization) could eventually turn positive,” Jokowi explained.
How the Whoosh Project Began
Although inaugurated under Jokowi’s administration, the Jakarta–Bandung high-speed rail project was first proposed during President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s term in 2011.
Jokowi revived the plan in 2015 by partnering with China to establish the joint consortium PT Kereta Cepat Indonesia Cina (KCIC).
Construction began in 2016, with Jokowi laying the first stone at the Mandalasari tea plantation in Cikalongwetan, West Bandung. That same year, the Ministry of Transportation approved the 142.3-kilometer route connecting Jakarta and Bandung.
PT KCIC later secured financing from the China Development Bank in Beijing, with the signing witnessed by Jokowi and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The project’s progress was delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, when construction had reached only 65.7 percent. To speed up completion, Jokowi formed the Jakarta–Bandung High-Speed Train Acceleration Team in 2021 through a decree from the Minister of State-Owned Enterprises.
Then–Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan was appointed as the team’s chairman.
Whoosh began trial runs in mid-2023 before officially opening later that year. The train’s name, Whoosh, stands for Waktu Hemat, Operasi Optimal, Sistem Hemat—meaning “Time-Saving, Optimal Operation, Economical System.”
Septia Ryanthie, Dian Rahma, and Muhammad Raihan contributed to the writing of this article.
Editor’s Choice: KPK Reveals Alleged Corruption in Indonesia's Whoosh High-Speed Train Project
Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News
