Pekanbaru, Riau, Feb 18 (Antarariau.com) - A 21-kilometer rail track would be built between Bukit Kapur-Dumai in the city of Dumai, Riau this year at a cost of Rp80 billion from the state budget.
The track, to be operational this year is part of the Trans Sumatra Railway,a provincial official said .
"The Transport Minister has signed the contract for the construction of the railway," head of provincial transport service Rahmad Rahim said here on Thursday.
Rahmad said the provincial administration will issue a decision on the location of the project .
Assistant II for economic development at provincial administration secretariat Masperi said the regional administration is focused more on development of a mega infrastructure project this year to build rail track to link the province with North Sumatra or Rantau Prapat-Duri-Dumai 249 kilometers long.
"We already formed a Team of Nine made up of officials of related agencies to speed up development ofrn the project, Masperi said.
Work will start this year, he added.
Last year, Transport Minister Ignasius Jonan said he hoped the Trans Sumatra Railway project could be built in five years.
The mass transport facility would link five provinces to cover a distance of 1,400 kilometers.
In Riau the Trans Sumatra section will extend between Pekanbaru and Telukkuantan and Muaro 164 km long, Pekanbaru-Jambi 350 km, Rantau Prapat-Duri-Dumai 249 km and Duri-Pekanbaru 90 km.
The Trans Sumatra Railway would also make links to three main ports in Riau -- Dumai, Tanjung Buton in the regency of Siak and Kuala Enok in the regency of Indragiri Hilir.
Director General of Railway Hermanto Dwiatmoko said fund was already set aside in the 2015 state budget for the Trans Sumatra Railway project .
"If land clearing has been finished , construction would immediately start.
