Indonesia, Europe strengthen transport partnership through rail investment, technology transfer
Monday, August 3 2026 - 10:19 AM WIB
By Romel S. Gurky
Indonesia and Europe reaffirmed their commitment to expanding cooperation on sustainable transportation through investment, technology transfer and workforce development during the Indonesia-Europe Roundtable on Sustainable Transport Development held in Jakarta.
The roundtable, organized alongside RailwayTech Indonesia 2026 by the Indonesian Railway Society (MASKA), the European Union, the German government and KfW Development Bank under the EU's Global Gateway initiative, highlighted long-term collaboration on transport infrastructure.
Oliver Sperling, Designated Deputy Head of Mission at the German Embassy in Jakarta, said transport cooperation between Indonesia and Europe would continue to expand through technical assistance, technology transfer and knowledge sharing.
"As an archipelagic nation with vast geography, Indonesia requires a strong and reliable transportation system," Sperling said.
The Surabaya Regional Railway Line (SRRL) was highlighted as a key example of the partnership. Jerome Pons, Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation to Indonesia, said the project's first phase has secured €236 million in financing from Germany's KfW Development Bank to modernize and electrify the Surabaya to Sidoarjo commuter railway.
Pons said the cooperation extends beyond financing to include technology transfer and workforce training to support implementation of the project.
The participants said the partnership aims to accelerate the development of resilient and sustainable transport infrastructure through long-term investment and technical cooperation.
Editing by Alexander Ginting