16. May 2025
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Riding KCIC Whoosh – The Indonesian High-Speed Rail – in First Class

Florian Buechtingby Florian Buechting

KCIC Whoosh First Class

600,000 IDR
KCIC Whoosh First Class
4.2

Rating

 4.2/5

Flyctory.com Pros

  • Much quicker commute between Jakarta and Bandung
  • Nice, comfortable First Class
  • A lot of additional potential with East Java extension

Flyctory.com Cons

  • Trip too short to really enjoy additional comfort
  • No WiFi
  • Stations rather remotely located

17th October 2023 marked a very special day in the Indonesian and South-East Asian transportation history. The first ever high speed rail in the region has been opened and connects (somehow) Jakarta and Bandung. The Whoosh is an Indonesian-Chinese collaboration driven by Kereta Cepat Indonesia China (“Indonesia China High-Speed Railways Ltd” – or short KCIC). During my visit to the two cities, I just had to check this train ride out and went for the poshest option – the First Class.

 

KCIC Whoosh – Network and Tariff

The Whoosh connects the two stations Halim in Jakarta and Tegalluar on the edge of Bandung. In fact, most travelers connect between Halim and Padalarang, where you can not only change to the Indonesian Intercity network, but also to a shuttle train, which is bringing you to Bandung Station in the heart of the West Java city. The total line length is 142.8 km. Travel time between the two terminus stations is 47 minutes. From Halim to Padalarang (97 km), travel time is 30 minutes. On top, the travel time to Bandung by the commuter service is 20 minutes. There are plans to extent the tracks to Surabaya in East Java. The exact route is not yet defined and the project is not kicked off. The station Karawang is currently not used.

In contrast to the Indonesian National Rail KAI, where booking tickets from abroad may ber tricky, it is very easy to buy a Whoosh ticket online. The website is in English as well. I am sure there are promotions for locals, but in general the pricing does not alter with the exact connection. The First Class ticket for the whole connection from Tegalluar to Halim was 600,000 IDR, roughly 60 EUR. The Business Class ticket in that period is 450,000 IDR, while the lowest class, Ekonomi Premium amounts to 225,000 IDR. The price from Halim to Padalarang is equivalent. According to a reader, these ticket vary by season between 150,000 and 250,000 IDR, so there are seasonal differences.

 

KCIC Whoosh – At The Train Station(s)

I took the trip between the two final stops, starting on the Bandung side. Especially Tegalluar Station (or Tegalluar Summarecon) feels a bit weird, as it is in fact out of nowhere. Only the soccer ground Gelora Bandung Lautan Api Stadium is not too far away. There is also the large and picturesque mosque and a mall not too far away. The station is connected to by shuttle buses to the mall and a regional train station with scattered services. In fact you have to go there by Grab. Nonetheless, the building is quite impressing and has some nice services. All signs are in Indonesian and English, so that you get around easy. Additionally, you can switch the ticket machines to Chinese.

Boarding generally starts twenty minutes before the train departs. You have to scan your ticket for boarding and after leaving the train at your destination. First and Business Class passengers at Tegalluar have a separate waiting area, where there are basic snacks, water and hot drinks (tea, coffee, hot chocolate).  In general, there is not too much commute at this station, so that the atmosphere is very relaxed. The staff was very friendly and spoke English very well. To board the train, you first have to take an escalator up and then go to one of the four platforms.

The economy class passengers wait on the upper level and are thus typically a bit quicker than you. A bit of bothering is the fact that the First Class coach is the most distant one of the train and you have to walk all the way down the platform.

 

Halim Station

Halim Station follows a similar layout. It is located in the Southeast of Jakarta, not too far away from Halim Perdanakusuma International Airport (HLP). It features the Bekasi Line light rapid rail station and is thus connected to public transport to Greater Jakarta. There are also shuttle buses to Jakarta International Airport (CGK). Nonetheless, quite a lot of people used ride services like Grab or Bluebird after arrival, which are very cheap in European relations. In line with Tegalluar, the station features four platforms for Whoosh trains.

 

KCIC Whoosh – Rolling Stock

The KCIC Whoosh uses the KCIC400AF train, which is in fact a derivative of the Chinese CR400AF, built by CRRC Qingdao Sifang. The standard gauge train is coming with eight cars and a operational high speed of 350km/h. However, this speed is in practice just rather briefly met due to the short distance. I also felt that over 320 km/h, you do feel a bit of vibration in the train. The total length of the train is 209 meters, the total power output of the train is 10 MW.

 

KCIC Whoosh – First Class Compartment

The First Class compartment is located in car 1, right behind on of the cockpits of the train. It is separated from the remaining train by a sliding door which opens by a hand sensor only. The recliner seats come in a 1-2 configuration. There are three rows, i.e. nine First Class seats in total. I was the only traveler in this class during my afternoon trip, which was overall quite well sold. A feature of the whole train is that you always face in the direction of travel – the staff is rotating the seats at each terminus. There are screens at both ends of the cabin, but only one text display over the sliding door. This display shows information like the outside temperature or the traveling speed. This means that on the Westbound trip, you do not see this information.

The other screens give some basic information about the trip and connections. You can switch off the reading light over your seat and plug in an electronic device – socket are at every seat. You may also pull down the blinds, if you like. The seat was very comfortable, also for my body size. However, I had no chance to unfold the table in the armrest while sitting in the Whoosh First Class seat.

 

KCIC Whoosh First Class – Service

As a Whoosh First Class guest, you are greeted at the front door of the train and guided to your seat. After leaving Halim / Paadalarang, you receive a snack bag. Apart from these events and leaving at Halim station, there was no service in the First Class cabin. Toilets are located between First and Business Class and are really nice. As said, there are no overhead storages in First Class and you have to put major luggage in the racks outside the compartment. If you really feel like more, you have to back quite a bit from first or business class and grab a bite at the cafe / dining car. There is no WiFi in the train.

 

KCIC Whoosh – Other Cabins

The business class cabin comes with a 2-2 configuration. It is only located in the remaining part of Coach 1. As far as I understood, it includes a snack as well – unfortunately the website is a bit of weak in regards of the services offered. As you see in the pictures, these cabins also feature overhead luggage storage.

The remaining train offers economy / Ekonomi Premium seating. The train is configured in a 3-2 setting. I am sure that this seat is a bit challenging for larger or taller European travelers. However, even the business class of the Indonesian high speed rail was not too well booked during my trip. Practically all travelers / commuters go for this option.

 

 

KCIC Whoosh – My View

The KCIC Whoosh cuts down the travel time between Bandung and Jakarta significantly – and that leads to a certain popularity among the locals. The First Class in the high speed train is posh, but in fact the upgraded comfort comes with a quite upgraded price, which might not really be worth the money on the short trip. The waiting lounge is a nice perk, but also available to business class passengers. This opinion would significantly change if the train is indeed extending to East Java one day. Then, traveling at the exclusive end of the train might become a very reasonable option.

 

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2 thoughts on “Riding KCIC Whoosh – The Indonesian High-Speed Rail – in First Class”

  1. Economy ticket is actually 150-250k depending on time of day and season – guess you were unlucky with your travel timing!

    Reply

    1. Thanks a lot for that. Actually, I indeed just looked into the week I booked, maybe one week before or later. Changed that 🙂

      Reply

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