Indonesia Invests 11 Trillion Rupiah to Reopen West Sumatra Railway

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On October 27, the Indonesian government held a launch ceremony for the West Sumatra railway reopening project at Kayutanam Station in Padang Pariaman Regency, with a total investment of approximately 11 trillion rupiah (about 660 million US dollars), targeting completion within 3 to 4 years. The first phase covers the Kayutanam to Padang Panjang section, with a total length of 15.3 kilometers; construction is planned to begin in early 2027 after the completion of technical studies and detailed engineering design.

At the launch ceremony, Indonesian state railway company Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) disclosed that approximately 6,800 buildings have been identified within the railway clearance zone along the corridor, with a 6-meter building-free clearance required on each side of the railway, totaling 12 meters. KAI President Director Bobby Rasyidin stated that the aforementioned buildings are located within land whose rights have been confirmed by KAI, and the company has requested the West Sumatra Regional Leadership Coordination Forum to assist in conducting social communication with residents to facilitate clearance. In addition to building clearance, the first-phase section is situated in hilly terrain with natural disaster risks, and a rack railway will be adopted to accommodate climbing conditions.

After the first phase opens, the line will continue to extend toward Solok and Sawahlunto; the second phase extends from Padang Panjang through Bukittinggi and Payakumbuh to Rimbunan (the Riau provincial border). According to KAI research documents, the Padang Panjang–Singkarak and Solok–Sawahlunto sections total approximately 66.4 kilometers; combined with the first-phase 15.3 kilometers, the planned total reopening length is approximately 81.7 kilometers, excluding the previously completed 13.76-kilometer Singkarak–Solok section.

KAI disclosed that Java has approximately 7,000 kilometers of active railway lines, while areas outside Java have less than 1,000 kilometers, despite roughly comparable population sizes; Sumatra has approximately 900 kilometers of active railway, and West Sumatra Province currently has only about 84 kilometers, below the province's previous network scale of approximately 280 kilometers.