MOJOKERTO (3/4) – The Director of Railways Infrastructure was present to accompany the Working Visit of the Indonesian House of Representatives Commission V to East Java Province on Saturday (3/4). This activity aims to review the double-track development program for the Mojokerto – Wonokromo railway.

In addition to the Director of Railways Infrastructure, the activity which was attended by 19 people from Commission V of the Indonesian House of Representatives was also attended by the Mayor of Mojokerto, the East Java Railway Engineering Office, the East Java BPTD XI, and the PT KAI DAOP 8 Surabaya.

Currently, the railway line crossing the south of Java has only operated for ± 575 km from Cirebon - Kroya - Yogyakarta - Solo - Madiun - Mojokerto, and leaves another 40 km to get to Wonokromo (Surabaya).

As explained by the Director of Railways  Infrastructure Heru Wisnu Wibowo, the construction of a double-track northern railway with a length of 720 km has been operating since 2014, while the southern route is still in progress and is targeted to be completed before 2024.

"We hope that before 2024 all the main southern traffic networks have operated double lanes," he explained.

Through this development project, Heru hopes to provide several benefits such as increasing the safety of rail travel, increasing traffic capacity, reducing travel time and increasing carrying capacity, reducing congestion and road damage, to reducing air pollution and saving fuel.

"From the original 72 trains per day, to 142 trains per day. Then for trains from Surabaya to Jogja, there will be a reduction in travel time between 20 to 50 minutes," he said.

In line with the Director of Railways Infrastructure, Commission V of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia and the Mojokerto City Government also hope that the construction of this southern railway line can run smoothly and can provide benefits to the community.