Indonesia to start MRT expansion beyond Jakarta in Q3 2024

New East-West line will connect capital city to nearby provinces of Banten, West Java

- Linda Yulisman

JAKARTA - Indonesia is planning to start the expansion of its mass rapid transit (MRT) system in the third quarter of 2024 to connect Jakarta to the neighbouring provinces of Banten and West Java at an estimated cost of 165 trillion rupiah (S$13.8 billion), a top official said.

The new East-West line, spanning 84.1km from Banten's Balaraja and West Java's Cikarang industrial towns, will link up with the capital city's MRT line and provide some relief to the traffic-congested roads.

Jakarta is home to more than 11 million people, with millions more workers pouring in from adjacent districts daily.

The clogged roads are estimated to cause 65 trillion rupiah in losses each year.

The MRT expansion project will add to the modernisation of Indonesia's transportation in the last decade under President Joko Widodo, with the completion of Southeast Asia's first high-speed rail (HSR) line, along with new MRT and light rail transit (LRT) networks.

For the MRT's expansion, the 165 trillion rupiah cost is subject to various factors such as the exchange rate, said MRT Jakarta corporate secretary Ahmad Pratomo.

"The development of the EastWest line is expected to enhance the connectivity of the MRT as a backbone of transport in Jakarta and the surrounding areas," he told The Straits Times.