Whoosh! High-speed railway creates buzzword across Indonesia

Organized by China Daily and the ASEAN-China Centre, the "Song of Our Homeland" China-ASEAN International Media Tour 2023 was launched at the Halim Railway Station of the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway in Jakarta, Indonesia, gathered journalists from main media outlets from China and ASEAN countries.

The Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway, running with a top speed of 350 km per hour, has ignited widespread enthusiasm in Indonesia.

Since Indonesian President Joko named the high-speed train "Whoosh", it has become viral on the internet. Whether it's echoed in crew announcements on the radio, emblazoned on food packaging, or inspired by symbolic gestures by passengers, "Whoosh" permeates the entire rail trip.

The Jakarta-Bandung High-speed Railway as a landmark project of the Belt and Road Initiative and cooperation between China and Indonesia adopts Chinese technology and standards. However there are still many differences here,trains are covered in red, the color of Indonesian national flag.Chair decorations were inspired by the country's intangible cultural heritage. Notably,Indonesian's public enthusiasm one month after the opening of the rail is still not over yet.

The public still got incredible enthusiasm for the high-speed rail.But just imagine living in this densely populated city,it took about five hours from Jakarta to Bandung by motorcycle,it takes three hours by train or van,but now it takes only 40 minutes on a train that runs 350 km per hour. Indonesian President Joko Widodo was inspired by the roaring sound of the high-speed train. He created the word Whoosh for the high-speed rail.It has become an internet buzzword in Indonesia, in high-speed railway stations this word can be frequently seen. Whoosh refers to the high-speed rail. The Indonesians are also full of expectations for the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway and bilateral cooperation.

The train attendant said: "There will be Mandarin language classes for attendants, I haven't received such training yet,but there will be such training courses for better communication with passengers.In the future,KCIC will appoint one vendor or a third-party (side) to manage these dining cars,to sell food and beverages and etc.And also the fact that the high-speed rail maybe will get bigger in the future.It will go further into other cities like Jogjakarta or Surabaya,I think it's a very great cooperation between two countries."