China helps Indonesia hit the fast track

Chinese officials plan to transfer the technology to Indonesia to enable the nation to independently operate a high-speed railway system in coming years. To achieve this goal, China has trained more than 45,000 Indonesian personnel, including Mustofa.

Having worked as a train driver for more than 10 years, Mustofa was selected last year to take part in the Jakarta-Bandung HSR training program. He completed six months' theoretical training and successfully passed a written examination.

In the coming months, he is due to receive practical supervision from an experienced Chinese instructor. On completing his comprehensive training, Mustofa will be fully equipped to become one of Indonesia's first high-speed train drivers.

Born to a family with a long history of working in the railway industry, he is extremely proud that his father was a train driver. Mustofa said that during his childhood, trains driven by his father halted at all stops on a line, giving him the opportunity to board at leisure.

Discussing his theoretical training, Mustofa said the initial hurdle he faced was the language barrier.

In late February, he was part of a group of personnel undergoing training for the Jakarta-Bandung HSR in a program conducted by Chinese railway institutions. The training was given online to the Indonesian team, and a translator was used for each session to get around the language barrier.

Mustofa familiarized himself with the train's electric power system for the first time, which posed a considerable challenge. Most trains in Indonesia are powered by internal combustion engines. In contrast, high-speed trains use electricity to achieve their rapid operational speeds.

"The Chinese instructors are extremely patient. They slow down to explain concepts until we understand them," Mustofa said.

Mu, his Chinese instructor, is a high-speed train driver with eight years' experience. Mu traveled to Indonesia in October last year to take part in the trial operation of the Jakarta-Bandung HSR. His current task is to assist Indonesian train drivers such as Mustofa.

"The language barrier and a lack of sources of electricity are not a problem. It will all be fine," Mu said.