25 March
A ceremony to mark the completion of Indonesia's first subway was held in Jakarta on Sunday, one day before train services begin operation.
The 16-kilometer line runs north to south through the center of the Indonesian capital. It is expected to ease congestion in Jakarta, which is said to have some of the worst traffic jams in the world.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo said in a speech that the completion of the subway marks the start of a new culture in the country.
A Japanese construction firm and an Indonesian company jointly built the state-of-the-art subway. The Japanese government provided a yen loan worth about 1.1 billion dollars.
Japan is also giving advice on operating trains and safety measures.
Japanese firms hope to win more projects in Indonesia, where there is a significant demand for infrastructure development, by demonstrating the safety of their advanced technology.
The subway will be free of charge from Monday through April 1, as the operator and the city's government are still settling the fares.
NHK
