Whoosh – the High-Speed Rail between Jakarta and Bandung

 

I had a function to attend in Bandung. I’d been there before, but that was by driving from Kuningan, Jakarta, where I lived temporarily for a couple of months. Bandung was – and perhaps still is – the shopping capital of Indonesia. When my wife’s relatives from Kuala Lumpur visited, I took advantage of my company-provided car and drove them there. They must have enjoyed the trip.

Back then, there were direct flights from Kuala Lumpur to Bandung, operated by AirAsia. This time, online information initially suggested that the route was still active, with multiple flights available. Unfortunately, all of that turned out to be outdated – there are now no direct flights between the two cities

I therefore had to travel via Jakarta: Kuala Lumpur to Soekarno–Hatta International Airport on Malaysia Airlines, then a cab to Halim Station for the China-built high-speed rail (HSR) to its Tegalluar terminus. From there, a courtesy feeder train took me to Bandung Station, where I booked a Grab ride to my hotel, the Four Points by Sheraton.

My wife had warned me about the negative comments circulating online about the HSR, mostly concerning connectivity – the distance from Soekarno–Hatta to Halim, and the distance from Tegalluar to central Bandung. ChatGPT also flagged similar issues.

So, I gave myself plenty of buffer time in both Jakarta and Bandung. In the end, the trip turned out better than expected – though not without a few observations that left me unsure about certain aspects of the service.

The HSR has a wonderful, punchy name: Whoosh. I love it.

However, booking tickets online was tricky. To begin with, I didn’t know the train’s official name was Whoosh. The first link that appeared in my Google search was Rail.Ninja. It looked legitimate, so I booked a set of return tickets through them.

When I arrived at Halim and tried to enter the turnstile, I realised instantly that I had been “conned.” The payment confirmation email contained no barcode to scan. The security guard had never seen such a document before. Fortunately, passenger traffic was light, and a helpful lady officer escorted me to the lounge (I had booked Business Class). She returned shortly with two genuine return tickets – at prices much lower than what I had paid Rail.Ninja. I had been overcharged by a third-party reseller.

(If I had simply checked Whoosh’s official site – ticket.kcic.co.id – I could have avoided the indignity of being fooled by a pretender. I should have learned my lesson; years ago, I was similarly misled by a third-party website when applying for a Canadian visa!)

The train itself was spotless. It departed on time, and the ride was smooth. We reached a maximum speed of 348 km/h. My colleague CD Liang, who travelled earlier, told me his train hit around 380 km/h. Passengers were also given a small pack containing bottled water and some tidbits.

A law lecturer from Medan was sitting next to me. He spoke little English, but I know “pasar” Malay, which is close to Bahasa Indonesia, so we managed well enough. He was extremely thoughtful. Seeing me with a walking cane, he fussed about trying to help. He was genuine, though my luggage was light and I could walk steadily. He took a selfie of us and exchanged cards; before I even reached Bandung, he had whatsapped me. I promised to look him up the next time I visit Medan, which I do from time to time.

Upon arrival, passengers were directed to a feeder line heading downtown. I had no idea where to alight, but CD Liang had reminded me to get off at the second stop. The signage, I must say, could be more foreigner-friendly.

Grab fares around town were inexpensive – about 40,000 IDR, or roughly SGD 4.

For my return journey, I upgraded myself to First Class out of curiosity. It shares the same carriage as Business Class but is partitioned for extra luxury. I was the only passenger in the compartment.

HSR tickets are not expensive. There has been a great deal of negative commentary about this project, much of it, I suspect, because it was financed and built by China. Western media commonly portray it as part of China’s so-called “debt trap.” Yes, the service does not appear financially viable if judged purely on costs and immediate revenue. But its broader economic and social benefits should not be overlooked. That said, these accusations may have made Indonesia somewhat sensitive or hesitant – perhaps explaining why the service feels a little “shy-to-show” to the outside world.

End