Over 8,000 tons of 50-meter high-speed rails were sent to Indonesia through Fangchenggang Port in Southern China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on Nov.28. (China Railway Materials)

Over 8,000 tons of 50-meter high-speed rails, manufactured and designed for the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway by Chinese companies, were sent to Indonesia through Fangchenggang Port in Southern China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on Nov.28.

“We plan to export a total of 37,900 tons of such rails to support the construction of the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway. This is our first export of Chinese-made 50-meter high-speed rails, which will further strengthen the cooperation between China and ASEAN nations regarding high-speed railways,” said Wang Hui, CEO of China Railway Materials.

According to China Railway Materials, the standard length of high-speed rails in China and most nations is 100 meters, but due to practical restrictions in Indonesia, the normal standard cannot be applied to the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway. In an effort to tackle the issue, Chinese companies have adapted their technologies to produce 50-meter rails that suit Indonesia’s situation and have built a precision cutting facility in Fangchenggang Port, allowing the rails to be processed at the port and sent to Indonesia in a timely manner.

Over 8,000 tons of 50-meter high-speed rails were sent to Indonesia through Fangchenggang Port in Southern China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on Nov.28. (China Railway Materials)

“The successful export of 50-meter rails is an unprecedented move, which can provide alternatives for ASEAN nations that wish to cooperate with China in the construction of high-speed railways,” added Wang.

The Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway is the first 350km/h standard high-speed railway in Indonesia and in Southeast Asia as a whole. When the Chinese-built 142.3-km high-speed railway project is completed, the travel time between Jakarta and Bandung will be reduced to 40 minutes, compared to what currently takes more than three hours.