Deep in the dense palm forests of Sumatra Island, an old train is struggling to pass through, connecting only a few scattered cities and unable to carry the heavy responsibility of this island as a treasure trove of Indonesian resources. Now, the decision-makers in Jakarta are determined to change this situation. With the inauguration of President Prabowo, a long envisioned steel dragon is moving from blueprint to reality. This is not only an extension of the steel rail, but also a strategic breakthrough for Indonesia's balanced regional development.

The north-south Shinkansen runs through the north and south

The Indonesian Ministry of Transport has turned its attention to the long axis of Sumatra Island. This 1700 kilometer long cross Sumatra railway, stretching from Aceh in the north to Lampung in the south, is like a sharp sword piercing straight into the heart of the island. Unlike previous fragmented route laying, this plan aims to completely connect the entire island's meridians. Considering that the current existing lines are only fragmented and distributed in North Sumatra and South Sumatra, the government has decided to adopt a step-by-step strategy. It is reported that the section from Aceh to Besi Dang has been listed as a priority project in the first phase, starting construction first and accumulating experience for the subsequent comprehensive deployment.

Hub linkage breaks through bottlenecks

Unlike traditional transportation oriented development, the core of this railway lies in building a massive multimodal transport system. The project leader emphasized that the focus is not simply on road construction, but on building a comprehensive transportation hub with strong multimodal transport capabilities. By closely connecting railways with highways and ports, the efficiency of goods turnover is greatly improved. The plan will fully consider the economic characteristics of each region, such as the transportation needs of palm oil production areas and mineral mining areas, to ensure that railways not only run fast but also deliver accurately, effectively solving the long-standing problem of high logistics costs in Sumatra.

Exploring new paths in diversified financing

Faced with an investment demand of up to 25 billion US dollars, the Indonesian government has no intention of bearing it alone. The Minister of Transport has made it clear that the national budget will not be the only source of funding. At present, a special evaluation team has been established and is working closely with Indonesia Railway KAI, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Regional Development Coordination, and Danantara Investment Agency to review the plan. In addition to exploring the public-private partnership (PPP) model, Indonesia has also set its sights on the international stage. keywords:Engineering infrastructure，keywords:Southeast Asia engineering information network

After inviting Russian companies to participate in negotiations in June 2026, the government is actively studying various options such as international financing, striving to inject strong momentum into this century project. In addition, Prabowo also proposed a long-term plan for the cross Kalimantan railway, hoping that the two cross island projects can form a synergy in the future and jointly support Indonesia's land transportation framework.Editor/Yang Meiling