Transportation Ministry Submits Basic Engineering Design Documents for Commencement of MRT East-West Railway Development

The Transportation Ministry confirmed that the construction of the MRT East-West railway would begin. It was marked by the submission of the Basic Engineering Design (BED) Document for MRT East-West Line Phase 1 to Jakarta Provincial Government, Monday (8/7) in Jakarta.

Hopefully, the groundbreaking can be carried out in August 2024

The BED document was handed over directly by Transportation Ministry, Budi Karya Sumadi to Jakarta Acting Governor, Heru Budi Hartono.

It is one of the milestones for the development of rail-based mass transportation in Indonesia, especially in Jakarta. It is expected to have a positive impact on the development of community progress in the future.

Access to Transjakarta Bus Stop - Bundaran HI MRT Station can Be Passed by Customers

The minister asserted that the MRT East-West Railway project is a National Strategic Project (PSN) that must be guarded together.

"I entrust this project to the Directorate General of Railways as the railway sector supervisor to coordinate with related stakeholders, including the Jakarta Government," he expressed, in the Jakarta Government's press release, Tuesday (8/8).

He advised that after the BED documents were submitted, the Jakarta Government could immediately appoint institutions under its control and authority to carry out project development. It should be done, thus development could be carried out immediately as directed by President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo.

"We will continue to support the implementation of the development of rail-based mass transportation together with the Jakarta Government. Hopefully, the groundbreaking can be carried out in August 2024," he asserted.

At the same time, the Acting Governor said the President had given directions for MRT East-West Railway to use a development scheme similar to MRT North-South Railway.

"Reflecting on the success of the construction, operation and operation of the MRT North-South Railway, and considering the continuity of urban rail transportation development which must be in line with developments in the Jakarta Greater Area, the MRT East-West Railway needs to continue to ensure its continuity," he explained.

Currently, the MRT North-South Railway has been operating for 16 kilometers from Lebak Bulus to Bundaran HI, with an average daily passenger reaching 100,000 per day. Besides implementing the MRT, the Jakarta Government had also given a mandate to PT MRT Jakarta to manage and develop Transit Oriented Areas (TOD - Transit Oriented Development) on the MRT North-South Railway.

"We hope that the MRT Jakarta Phase 3 railway development will support the development of railway public transportation which will have a broad impact on Jakarta people and its surroundings," he hoped.

As for the information, the MRT East-West Railway is a joint initiative between Transportation Ministry and Jakarta Government. This development is part of the development of the MRT North-South Railway network, which is the backbone of the rail-based mass transportation network in Jakarta and the surrounding buffer zones.

At present an institutional consensus has been reached for the MRT East-West Phase 1, which is a replica of the MRT North-South scheme, namely Transportation Ministry as Executing Agency, Jakarta Government as the Implementing Agency, and PT MRT Jakarta as the Sub-Implementing Agency, as well as implementing the scheme on-granting on-lending financing.

In Phase 1, the MRT East-West corridor development will cover the line from Tomang to Medan Satria. If the entire corridor is connected, this corridor will stretch for 90 kilometers from Balaraja in Tangerang to Cikarang, and cross three provinces, two districts and three cities.