Jakarta LRT Velodrome-Manggarai Extension Nears Completion at 98 Percent

Jakarta LRT Velodrome-Manggarai Extension Nears Completion at 98 Percent

Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung announced Thursday that the Jakarta LRT extension from Velodrome to Manggarai is nearing completion, with construction progress reaching 97.99 percent. The new route represents a significant expansion of the city's light rail transit system, which first began commercial operations in December 2019.

Speaking at Manggarai LRT Station on August 13, Governor Anung said the remaining work focuses on signaling systems at several points along the route. "If you ask about overall readiness, it's now at 97.99 percent, so almost 98 percent," he stated, expressing confidence that all outstanding issues would be resolved by August 20.

The 12.2-kilometer extension, built with an investment of Rp12.1 trillion, will serve 11 stations: Kelapa Gading, Boulevard Utara Summarecon Mall, Boulevard Selatan, Pulomas, Equestrian, Velodrome, Rawamangun, Pramuka, Matraman, Proklamasi, and Manggarai. The route will connect three areas of Jakarta—North, East, and South—with plans to extend further to Dukuh Atas Station, which would add Central Jakarta to the network.

Manggarai Station, first opened in 1918, serves as a major railway hub and transit point for KRL Commuterline, intercity trains, and the Soekarno-Hatta Airport Rail Link. The station is planned to become Jakarta's future central railway terminal, making it a strategic terminus for the LRT extension that will enable seamless connections across multiple transportation systems.

Metropolitan Transportation Challenges

The LRT expansion comes as Jakarta grapples with severe traffic congestion. The Jakarta metropolitan area, home to over 25 million people across 5,844 square kilometers, faces chronic transportation problems with more than 22 million vehicles on the road daily and over 9 million daily commuters. According to the TomTom Traffic Index 2025, Jakarta ranked 24th among the world's most congested cities with a congestion rate of 59.8 percent, a sharp rise from 90th place in 2024.

The current LRT system, which has been operational since 2019, has seen modest ridership compared to other Jakarta transit modes. The system carried approximately 3,500 passengers per day from January to October 2025, totaling 1.1 million passengers over the ten-month period. By comparison, Transjakarta serves an average of 1.4 million passengers daily across 233 routes, while Jakarta MRT carried 3.5 million passengers in January 2025 alone.

PT Jakarta Propertindo (Jakpro), the municipally owned infrastructure company operating the LRT through its subsidiary PT LRT Jakarta, has been coordinating closely with the Transportation Ministry's Directorate General of Railways to ensure operational readiness. "This coordination covers a series of tests on infrastructure and facilities, signaling systems, telecommunications, electrical systems, and overall system integration," said Jakpro Technical and Development Director Robert Sarjaka on Wednesday.

Presidential Inauguration Planned

Governor Anung confirmed that all infrastructure and facilities are ready to operate, though fare structures have yet to be determined. The inauguration date will be announced by the Presidential Palace, as President Prabowo Subianto is scheduled to formally open the new route. Jakpro has indicated that the inauguration and initial operation are planned for August 26, 2026.

Anung, who assumed office as Jakarta's 15th Governor on February 20, 2025, after winning the November 2024 election with 50.07 percent of votes, previously served as Cabinet Secretary under President Joko Widodo from 2015 to 2024. The LRT project represents a key component of his administration's efforts to expand mass transit infrastructure in the capital.

The Jakarta LRT system was originally conceived as an alternative to the suspended Jakarta Monorail construction project. With the Velodrome-Manggarai extension nearing completion, city officials are already looking ahead to further expansions that could extend the network to additional areas of the sprawling metropolitan region.