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Five Train Lines to Link Batam, Ministry Official Says
Tri Listiyarini | January 31, 2012

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KampungHighlander
11:15pm Feb 6, 2012

Ridicules, going straight to railways when they even haven't tried buses.

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Batam Island may get its first rail line, a ministry official said on Tuesday, as the government will invite private investors to build railways there in a bid to boost foreign investment.

The project is forecast to cost Rp 2.4 trillion ($266.4 million), said Tundjung Inderawan, the director general of railways at the Transportation Ministry.

Batam, the provincial capital of Riau Islands, is one of Indonesia’s main destinations for foreign investment, with 26 industrial estates. It also hosts many Singaporean firms .

The railway lines would be part of Indonesia’s plan to develop infrastructure projects, including airports, seaports and toll roads.

For the Batam project, the government hopes to capitalize on a recently introduced law that allows private investors to build and manage railways in Indonesia..

Tundjung said five lines would be developed on the island, citing data from the master plan.

Those lines would include a 27.5-kilometer line linking Batu Ampar and Batu Aji, a 16.4-kilometer line linking Sekupang and Batam Center, and a 16.36-kilometer line between Nongsa and Batam Center.

For now, Tundjung said, the government is offering private investors only two lines: a 19.6-kilometer line from Hang Nadim Airport to Batu Ampar and a 17.7-kilometer line linking Batam Center and Tanjung Uncang.

The total cost for those two railway lines is estimated at Rp 2.4 trillion, he said. “Theses two lines are important because we have to prioritize business centers on the island,’’ Tundjung said.

He added that the government signed a memorandum of understanding with Batam’s development authority agency, or BP Batam, on Friday allowing them to discuss the project. BP Batam, formerly named Batam Authority, or Otoritas Batam, issues licenses for companies to operate on the island. It also supervises the operations of industrial and manufacturing plants there.

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