New Cikarang Line Will Start Operating on Sunday
Jakarta. A new commuter line connecting Jakarta to the industrial area of Cikarang in Bekasi, West Java, will start operating on Sunday (08/12) and serve the growing demand from passengers who live and work in the outskirts of Jakarta, a top executive said.
State railway operator Kereta Api Indonesia completed construction of its double-track to Cikarang early this year as part of government's effort to revamp public transportation systems around the capital.
The upgrade allowed the operator's commuter train subsidiary, Kereta Commuter Indonesia, to extend existing commuter service from Jakarta Kota Station to Bekasi Station with new stations, including Bekasi Timur, Cibitung, Tambun and Cikarang. The four stations previously served intra-city trains only.
"Kereta Commuter Indonesia is expanding its service [...] We are completely ready to serve commuter line users all the way to Cikarang," M. N. Fadhila, Kereta Commuter Indonesia president director, said in a statement on Friday.
According to the statement, the new route will offer 16 round trips a day. The first train from Cikarang Station to Jakarta Kota Station will depart at 4.45 a.m. while the first train from Jakarta Kota Station heading to Cikarang Station will depart at 5.41 a.m.
The last train from Cikarang Station to Jakarta will depart at 7.32 p.m and to Bekasi at 8.52 p.m. Passengers can use the train from Bekasi to Jakarta at 10.15 p.m at the latest. Meanwhile, the last train from Jakarta Kota to Cikarang will leave at 5.46 p.m.
The distance between Jakarta Kota and Cikarang is about 44 kilometers and the train ride is expected to take about 90 minutes. It only costs Rp 5,000 ($0.4) for the entire distance, cheaper compared to bus service, which typically charges Rp 20,000 for a similar trip.
Train passengers can use electronic money from various commercial lenders as well as the Multi Trip Card issued by the commuter line operator.
Kereta Commuter Indonesia, the commuter line operator previously known as KAI Commuter Jabodetabek, expects to serve 1.2 million passengers a day in 2019. The commuter line operator currently serves 993,804 passengers on average working days as of August.
Kereta Commuter Indonesia — which operates 758 trains — is operating through 75 stations in Greater Jakarta, Banten and Cikarang, serving more than 418 kilometers in routes.
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