Jakarta, Oct 2 (IANS): Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Monday officially declared open the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway (HSR) at the capital city's Halim Station.

The Transportation Ministry issued an operating license Friday to PT Kereta Cepat Indonesia-China, a joint venture consortium between Indonesian and Chinese state-owned firms that constructs and runs the HSR, reports Xinhua news agency.

At the ceremony, Widodo announced the name of the HSR, "Whoosh", inspired by the sound of the train, saying that the high-speed train marks the modernisation of Indonesia's transportation mode, which is efficient, environment friendly and integrated with other public transportation tools.

"I declare that 'Whoosh' is ready to be operated," Widodo said.

The Jakarta-Bandung HSR has a total length of 142 km, with 3 beam yards, No.1, No.2 and No.4, which were responsible for the erection of 2,558 box girders.

With a design speed of 350 km per hour, the HSR built with Chinese technology will cut the journey between Jakarta and Bandung, the capital of Indonesia's West Java province, from more than three hours to around 40 minutes.