Heaptalk, Jakarta — The Indonesian government, through the Ministry of Transportation, has stated that autonomous rail transit (ART) trains or trackless trains are cheaper than MRT and LRT.
“I just spoke with friends from China about these possibilities, and we will study it further. This type of train should be relatively inexpensive. One trainset costs Rp750 million (approximately US$48,429 with US$1 equals Rp15,486) without infrastructure preparation. The MRT costs Rp1.5 trillion (nearly US$96.9 million); for the LRT, it’s Rp750 billion (around US$48.4 million),” said Minister of Transportation Budi Karya Sumadi (08/18).
Unlike MRT and LRT, Budi emphasized that procuring self-driving trackless trains does not require infrastructure development, which saves costs. Regarding its capacity, an ART trainset consists of two carriages and can carry 324 people. The train operates at an operational speed of around 40 kilometers per hour, with a maximum speed of 70 kilometers per hour. Budi added, “The train will operate in the IKN area along the Sumbu Kebangsaan East Side and Sumbu Kebangsaan West Side. However, it may be introduced in other regions as well.”
Meanwhile, President Jokowi has requested all regional heads to immediately budget for the purchase of public transportation to reduce traffic congestion and overcrowding. He recommended that regional governments purchase self-driving trackless trains. “Every city, especially, should consider this (ART), as it is cheaper. ART uses magnets instead of rails, and for a unit with three carriages, the price is Rp74 billion,” said Jokowi.
Furthermore, Jokowi emphasized that the development of this transportation mode must be promptly followed up. The instruction applies to regional heads in Java and other islands, as Jokowi has observed that traffic congestion is spreading across Indonesia. He added, “Cities are starting to get congested; I see that it’s not just in Java, but outside Java. This needs to be considered for mass transportation.”
However, Jokowi acknowledged that building mass transportation systems will require substantial financial resources and operational costs. Nevertheless, he reminded everyone that the amount is insignificant compared to the potential economic losses due to traffic congestion and air pollution, which also affect health.
