CONSTRUCTION WORKS OF PALEMBANG LRT TRAIN ON TRACK by Fardah

Jakarta, July 18, 2017 (Antara) -  The 18th Asian Games, a regional sporting event for Asian nations, will be co-hosted by Palembang and Jakarta simultaneously from August 18 to September 2, 2018.

         Thousands of athletes from 54 countries are expected to participate in the games.

         This will be the second time that Indonesia will host the Asian Games, with the first one being held in Jakarta in 1962, under President Soekarno.

         The South Sumatra provincial administration, in general, and the Palembang municipal government, in particular, are determined to use the event to promote its tourism attractions in order to attract as many tourists as possible.

         To this end, they have been busy improving and renovating several tourist attractions in the city and developing infrastructure and facilities to support the tourism industry.
    Among infrastructure being developed in the capital of South Sumatra  is a Light Rail Transit (LRT) system. The vital LRT is expected to help reduce traffic in Palembang particularly during the implementation of the upcoming Asian Games.

         The 25 km long LRT track will stretch from Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II International Airport to Jakabaring Sport City.

         The construction work has, so far, been on track, and proceeded smoothly without serious problems.

         The Rp10 trillion (US$751.9 billion) Asian Games 2018 project has earmarked Rp2 trillion (US$15.04) for LRT project development.

         The railway is expected to be completed physically by December 2017 and be ready to operate in June 2018, or at least two months before the Asian Games 2018.

         In May 2017, over 40 percent of the construction work has been completed. The installation of rails is expected to be carried out by the end of this year.  Several coaches for the LRT project will arrive in January 2018.

         The South Sumatra transportation office had coordinated with the Transportation Ministry for the arrival of the coaches early next year, Nasrun Umar, head of the local office, said in Palembang on July 13.

         The coaches are being produced by Indonesia's state-owned railway manufacturer PT INKA in Madiun, East Java Province, and will be shipped to South Sumatra in stages.

         State-run construction company Waskita Karya has been entrusted by the Transportation Ministry to  develop the LRT system in Palembang.

         Waskita was appointed through a presidential regulation which was signed in late October 2015.

         The government is also working to ensure the LRT receives sufficient electricity supply to operate smoothly.

         As previously reported, Waskita is working with state electricity company PLN to build a 500 kilovolt transmission project in Sumatra, which will span 395 kilometers and absorb Rp 6.7 trillion of investment.

         The Palembang LRT will be the first ever in Indonesia, as Jakarta's LRT railway connecting the capital city with Bogor, Depok and Bekasi, is expected to be completed in early 2019.

         In fact, the LRT project is part of President Joko Widodo's plan to build similar transportation projects in a number of big cities nationwide, including in Surabaya (East Java) and Bandung (West Java).

         The presence of LRT will be in accordance with a plan of the Palembang municipal administration to designate the venue of the 2018 Asian Games as a pollution-free area, according to South Sumatra Governor Alex Noerdin.

         Only electric and gas-fueled vehicles will be allowed to enter the area, Noerdin said on July 17. The objective is to make Palembang a healthy and green city.

         Palembang has also been busy improving and renovating several tourist attractions in the city, and developing infrastructure and facilities to support the tourism industry. Among tourist objects being renovated are Kuto Besak Fortress, Ampera Bridge and Kemaro Isle.

         Kemaro Isle is a small delta, nearly six kilometers from Ampera Bridge, in the middle of the Musi River.  A Chinese temple was built on the isle in honor of a legendary love story between a Chinese prince, Tan Bun Ann, and a princess of Palembang, Siti Fatimah.

         Ampera Bridge over Musi River is the main icon of the city. Musi River is not solely the longest river in Sumatra stretching over 750 kilometers but is also the lifeline and heartbeat of Palembang.

         People belonging to several races and ethnicities, such as Malay, Javanese, Chinese, Arab, and Indian descends, live along and around the river, which divides Palembang into northern and southern parts.

         Their traditions and arts have enriched the culture of Palembang, which is one of the oldest cities in Indonesia, and in the past, was the capital of the powerful Sriwijaya Kingdom during the period between 670 and 1375.  ***1***
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(T.F001/A/BESSR/Bustanuddin) 19-07-2017