Greater Jakarta LRT to Start Running in August

TheIndonesia.co - The Greater Jakarta Light Rail Transit, or Jabodebek LRT is set to start operating in August and will use advanced automation.

Didiek Hartantyo, president director of PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) which is the operator of Jabodebek LRT, said the LRT is expected to start carrying passengers in August 2022, and it will be entirely automated by the end of the year.

“[We target] the operational of Jabodebek LRT to start in August 2022. And it will be fully operated using level three of Grade of Automation, or GoA, by the end of 2022,” Hartantyo revealed on Wednesday, January 19, as reported by Antara.

In addition, Jabodebek LRT will also be operated by employing the communication-based train control (CBTC) system. According to RailSystem, CBTC is “a railway signaling system that makes use of the telecommunications between the train and track equipment for the traffic management and infrastructure control”. Compared to the traditional signaling systems, CBTC offers a more accurate information on train position, and its use provides a “more efficient and safe way to manage the railway traffic”.

Meanwhile, to put it simply, the utilization of level three of GoA means a driverless train operation. However, train attendants will continue to be present inside train cars to handle emergency situations and to assists passengers in general.

“This is the first railway project in Indonesia with driverless operation, and it’s the most advanced technology in railway signaling system,” Hartantyo said.

Jabodebek LRT project construction started in 2015 and was aimed to connect capital city Jakarta with satellite cities within the Greater Jakarta region, including Bogor, Depok, and Bekasi.

Total investment for this project has reached Rp32.5 trillion (US$2.3 billion). Upon its completion, Hartantyo hoped Jabodebek LRT can be the answer to the complicated public transportation problems in Indonesia.

“It’s expected to reduce traffic congestion, emission, fuel oil use, and traveling time, as well as encouraging economic growth.”

PT KAI has set the base fare for this service at Rp15,000, or US$1.1.