Why Does Indonesia Have a 350 km/h Fast Train While Australia Still Struggles With Average-Speed Rail?
By Jamie McIntyre, Political Commentator, Australian National Review
One of the biggest surprises of my recent visit to Indonesia wasn’t the new capital city of Nusantara or Jakarta’s relentless pace. It was boarding the Whoosh high-speed train between Jakarta and Bandung.
The experience was extraordinary.
In just around 30 minutes, we travelled between two major cities at speeds reaching approximately 350 km/h. The journey was smooth, quiet and every bit as impressive as the high-speed rail systems I’ve experienced elsewhere in Asia.
What struck me wasn’t simply Indonesia’s achievement.
It was Australia’s failure.
Indonesia is still commonly described as a developing nation, yet it has managed to build one of Southeast Asia’s most advanced transport systems while Australia, one of the wealthiest countries in the world on a per capita basis, still cannot deliver even ordinary passenger rail between many of its major population centres.
Perhaps before politicians start talking about futuristic high-speed rail, Australia should first learn how to build an average-speed train.
Take the Brisbane to Gold Coast corridor.
The two cities are only around 70 kilometres apart.
An ordinary modern passenger train travelling at about 120 km/h could complete much of that journey in around 30 to 40 minutes, transforming daily commuting for hundreds of thousands of people.
Instead, commuters often spend 70 to 90 minutes on today’s rail services, and considerably longer if travelling by car during peak-hour gridlock.
That isn’t simply inconvenient.
It is an enormous drag on productivity, quality of life and economic growth.
Every extra hour spent sitting in traffic is an hour not spent with family, running a business or contributing to the economy.
Meanwhile, Indonesia has leapfrogged into the future.
The country’s Whoosh high-speed railway demonstrates what can be achieved when governments decide that modern infrastructure is an investment rather than merely another political announcement.
Australia has spent decades discussing high-speed rail.
We’ve commissioned study after study, produced glossy reports and made election promises.
Yet little changes.
Australians deserve to ask an uncomfortable question.
How can Indonesia build a 350 km/h railway while Australia still struggles to provide reliable, average-speed rail between nearby cities?
Infrastructure should not be viewed through a political lens.
It should be viewed through an economic one.
Faster transport means higher productivity.
It expands labour markets.
It reduces congestion.
It increases property values around transport hubs.
It attracts investment.
It improves tourism.
Most importantly, it gives people back something increasingly valuable: time.
Australia has the engineering expertise.
It has the financial capacity.
What appears to be missing is the political will.
Watching Indonesia’s sleek high-speed train glide effortlessly across Java was inspiring.
It also served as a reminder that Australia’s infrastructure ambitions have become far too modest.
Perhaps it’s time to stop debating whether Australia can build world-class rail and instead start asking why nations with fewer resources are already doing it.
Until then, Australians will continue watching other countries race ahead while we remain stuck in traffic.