This aerial photo taken on Feb. 15, 2023 shows the construction site of the last ballastless track slab of Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway in Karawang, West Java, Indonesia. With the self-compacting concrete being poured into the last track slab on Wednesday, the construction of ballastless track slabs along the whole line of Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway was completed. (Xinhua/Xu Qin)

With the self-compacting concrete being poured into the last track slab on Wednesday, the construction of ballastless track slabs along the whole line of Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway (HSR) was completed.

The total length of the ballastless track section is 85.3 km, accounting for 60 percent of the main line, which is 142.3 km. Altogether 30,177 ballastless track slabs need to be laid.

The use of CRTS III ballastless track slabs is based on the technology developed by China with complete intellectual property rights. This new type of track slab has the advantages of a simple structure, stable performance and good durability, and it's easy to construct. It is one of the key technologies to ensure the smoothness and safety of the high-speed railway.

At present, all of the subgrade, bridge and station civil works have been completed. The railway is scheduled to start operation mid-year.

The high-speed line, a landmark project under the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, connects Indonesia's capital Jakarta and another major city Bandung.

With a design speed of 350 km per hour, the railway will cut the journey between Jakarta and Bandung from over three hours to around 40 minutes.