Last week, we attended the exhibition of Railwaytech Indonesia 2022 at the Jakarta International Expo, Central Jakarta. The said exhibition is an annually business to business international trade exhibition, which specialized in railway technology, equipment, systems and services in original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and aftermarket industry in Indonesia.
We’re interested in one of the exhibitors, PT Celebes Railway Indonesia (CRI), which is the railway infrastructure operator of Makassar-Parepare phase in South Sulawesi, one of the national strategic projects.
The company, meanwhile, is the consortium of PT Pembangunan Perumahan (PTPP), PT Bumi Karsa (Kalla Group, owned by former vice president Jusuf Kalla’s family), PT China Communication Construction Engineering Indonesia, and PT Iroda Mitra. In January 2019, the consortium led by PTPP has won the auction of the Trans-Sulawesi railway project in the Makassar-Parepare segment. This project is the first project of government cooperation with business entities (KPBU) in the railway sector.
FYI, The Makassar-Parepare Trans-Sulawesi railway KPBU project covers the construction, operation and maintenance of railways in the F segment along 13.90 kilometers. In addition, the winner will also carry out the operation and maintenance of the 125.70 kilometer of segments B, C and D.
We talked to CRI’s representative in the exhibition. He told us that the first segment of the Makassar-Parepare train project has already operated this month. This first segment, therefore, will connect Barru station to Mangilu station.
Media recently reported that the government will soon test train line from Marros station to Barru station by the end of this October. The train line will be the first railway in Sulawesi.
Bear in mind that the Makassar-Parepare railway will have a crossing line of 145 kilometers with 14 stations (Mandai station – Marros station – Ramang-Ramang station – Pangkajene station – Labakkang station – Mangilu station – Ma’rang station – Mandale station – Tanete Rilau – Barru station – Garongkong station – Takalasi station – Mangkoso station – Palanro station).
“We have operationally tested from Mangilu station to Barru station while the whole Makassar-Parepare railway will be fully operated in Q2 of next year. The line from Mandai station to Palanro station has already in the certification process. If the certification process is completed, the Makassar-Parepare railway will be operated next year,” said the CRI’s representative.
As we know, Makassar-Parepare railway is potential for the movement of goods and commodities including coal and cement, as well as passenger services and the development of tourist spots near the Makassar-Parepare railway.
The Marros – Barru area has economic potential for cement industry which can be transported 6,000-10,000 tons per month from PT Sement Tonasa near Mangilu station and 3.5 million tons per annum from PT Semen Bosowa to Garongkong Port by train.
In addition to the potential for cement transportation, this railway is expected to maximize tourism potential in the Maros-Barru area. The area is famous for geopark tourism, beaches, and culinary delights such as Ramang-Ramang geopark 1.7 kilometers from Ramang-Ramang station, Tonasa park 23.1 kilometers from Mangilu station, Togenra cave 5 kilometers from Takalasi station, Diana waterpark 4.6 kilometers from Mangkoso station, and Dutungan Island resort 4 kilometers from Palanro station.
by Isminarti Rahayu
DISCLAIMER: NO POSITION IN STOCKS MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
