President Joko Widodo launched the service, which connects the capital Jakarta to Bandung, a top economic hub.
The railway was originally scheduled to open in 2019 but was delayed due to land disputes, the Covid-19 pandemic and a $1.2bn (£984m) budget overrun.
Whoosh is operated by PT KCIC, a joint venture made up of four Indonesian state companies with Beijing’s China Railway International.
The bullet train’s speed will mainly appeal to business travellers and tourists, according to Dedi Dinarto, lead Indonesia analyst at strategic advisory firm Global Counsel.
“It raises uncertainty about whether this substantial infrastructure investment, funded both by China and the national budget, will prove profitable for the government,” he said.
The project is part of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s 10-year-old Belt and Road initiative, an ambitious plan to connect Asia with Africa and Europe through a series of land and sea networks via investments in local infrastructure.
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