TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
KAI suspends Greater Jakarta LRT trial to fix glitches
Change text size
Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone
Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
A Greater Jakarta LRT train passes during a trial run on July 12, 2023. (Antara/Rivan Awal Lingga)
After only four days of operation, the Transportation Ministry has halted the limited public trial of the new Greater Jakarta LRT.
The ministry's director general for railways, Risal Wasal, said on Monday that authorities had suspended the public trial for roughly a week for software improvements after conducting an evaluation on Saturday.
"In general, the public trial for the LRT ran smoothly. We need to improve a few things, including the software system," Risal said.
According to state railway company Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI), which runs the service, the Greater Jakarta LRT uses a technology called communications-based train control (CBTC). This railway signaling technology allows LRT trains to be driverless, but a human operator will always be on board in case the train encounters any problems.
During its limited public trial, which started last week, the Greater Jakarta LRT encountered several glitches.
On a trip from Dukuh Atas to Harjamukti on July 12 that included a journalist from The Jakarta Post, the train made three sudden stops along a portion of elevated track. The glitch prolonged the trip from the expected 45 minutes to 54 minutes.
The train announcement system did not function properly and the ride was also rougher than that of the Jakarta MRT – which was launched in 2019 – because of hard braking and acceleration.
