Project will act as catalyst for growth

Indonesia's first high-speed railway, being built by China, will be a significant boost to the country's economy and act as a catalyst for other key infrastructure developments regionally, according to experts following the project.

Titissari Rumbogo, a planning and public policy scholar at the University of Indonesia, told China Daily the line will have a strong "multiplier effect" for economic growth in countries throughout Southeast Asia.

"It will be especially important in job creation, both in terms of construction and for local factories that are expected to produce train components," said Rumbogo.