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reater Jakarta commuter train operator PT Kereta Commuter Jabodetabek (KCJ) hopes in 2015 to add 50 million passengers to the 205 million serviced a year ago.

KCJ president director Tri Handoyo announced on Tuesday that some 647,000 passengers were using the trains each day so far this year, a 32 percent increase from last year'€™s average of 490,000 passengers.

'€œThe peak day for passengers is Monday, when around 730,000 people ride,'€ he said.

Despite the increase, Tri said demand was on the rise, and that the company was working to accommodate more riders.

Commuter trains are one of the most reliable public transportation options in Greater Jakarta, as they avoid the city'€™s notorious gridlock. Ample parking availability, frequent trips, and mostly on-time trains have encouraged more and more residents to use KCJ for daily commuting.

Tri said he was optimistic that KCJ could achieve its target of servicing 1.2 million passengers a day by 2019 if the company continued adding more trains and improving services.

'€œWe will buy another 120 carriages this year,'€ he said, adding that the number of trips would increase to 857 per day from last year'€™s rate of 757 trips per day.

The company has received Rp 680 billion (US$53.72 million) in loans from several banks to finance the train acquisition.

Tri said the company would also add trips in the afternoon to meet demand and would open a new route from Citayam to Nambo in Bogor, West Java.

Nambo is located near the highly residential Gunung Putri area.

'€œWe are now waiting for the Transportation Ministry and [state-owned railway operator] PT KAI to finalize the route-opening,'€ he said, adding that it was scheduled to open in April.

The director said the company would also open a '€œtourism'€ route to Ancol and Tanjung Priok in North Jakarta. '€œSeventy percent of our passengers on weekends use trains for leisure trips,'€ he said.

Tri added that his company would work to improve infrastructure and services to improve passenger comfort, including by installing lost-and-found counters and renovating bathrooms and prayer rooms.

KCJ technical director John Roberto said the company would also try to improve technical issues, including fixing dysfunctional air-conditioning systems and faulty traction and braking systems.

'€œWe have identified the problems and minimized their occurrences by taking several steps, including replacing certain trains and cooperating with train makers in Japan like Toshiba and Mitsubishi to procure spare parts and technicians,'€ he said.

He added that the company would receive one technician from Japan'€™s biggest train company, East Japan Railway (JR East). '€œHe will work at KCJ to help us maintain the trains,'€ he said, adding that all trains procured since 2014 had been bought second hand from JR East.

During the press conference, KCJ also announced that it was cooperating with Sony Corporation to provide chips for e-ticketing.

Senior general manager of the FeliCa business division at the Sony Corporation, Kazuyuki Sakamoto, said the chip, called Sony FeliCa, would be embedded in cards, wristbands and mobile phones.

With the chips installed in their gadgets, passengers would be able to enter stations.

Jakarta Transportation Council (DTKJ) chairman Edi Nursalam said the performance of KCJ was already improving.

He said, however, that the company needed to improve reliability and capacity.

'€œThe wait time is too long, especially during rush hours. It should be two or three minutes,'€ he said, adding that arrivals at stations like Manggarai in South Jakarta were often late.

Edi said the company should also improve facilities like air conditioners while conductors should alert passengers to approaching stations more regularly.