Indonesian leader takes a test ride on Southeast Asia’s first high-speed railway

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesian President Joko Widodo has taken a test ride on Southeast Asia’s first high-speed railway, a key project under China’s Belt and Road infrastructure initiative. The $7.3 billion rail project, funded largely by China, connects the capital, Jakarta, and Bandung, the heavily populated capital of West Java province. It is to begin commercial operations on Oct. 1 and will cut travel time between the two cities from the current three hours to about 40 minutes. Chinese Premier Li Qiang took a test ride last week while visiting Jakarta for three days of talks with leaders of the Association of Southeast Asia Nations and other countries.