Several Jabodetabek Commuter Rail Trains Will Be Retired, Procurement of Replacements Remains Controversial

PT Kereta Commuter Indonesia (KCI) notes indicate that at least 29 electric multiple units (EMUs) in the Jabodetabek area will be retired. The breakdown is 10 trains in 2023 and 19 in 2024.

To replace these aging trains, KCI needs to procure new ones. There are two types of procurement investments: purchasing new domestically-made train sets and proposing the import of used EMUs from Japan.

KCI's VP of Corporate Secretary, Anne Purba, stated that 16 EMU sets have been ordered from PT Industri Kereta Api (INKA). This aligns with the company's long-term plan to anticipate future increases in passenger capacity.

Unfortunately, these new train sets will only be available in 2025-2026. "Because building new trains takes a considerable amount of time," she said when met by *Katadata.co.id* at Juanda Station, Jakarta, on Tuesday (28/2/2023).

The second investment is a proposal to import 10 used EMUs from Japan in 2023.

Anne stated that the costs of procuring new and used EMUs differ significantly. The 16 new EMUs will cost Rp16 trillion, while importing 10 used EMUs is budgeted at Rp150 billion.

"But it's important to emphasize that this isn't an apples-to-apples comparison. Because used trains have already been in operation for 20-30 years," Anne explained.

The difference between the two types of trains is that used EMUs can still be used for about 15 more years, while new EMUs can be used for decades.

The import of used EMUs appears to have not yet received government approval.

The Secretary General of the Ministry of Industry, Dody Widodo, asserted that Indonesia does not need to import EMU carriages because the national railway industry is capable of producing all domestic needs.

“PT Industri Kereta Api (INKA) can produce all of them, why should we import used railway carriages from Japan? We claim to be proud of buying Indonesian-made products. Even Bangladesh bought our railway products worth Rp1.3 trillion,” Dody told *Antara* in Jakarta on Monday (27/2/2023).

The lack of clarity regarding the EMU procurement plan is feared to impact commuters.

Public Policy Analyst at PH&H Public Policy Interest Group, Agus Pambagio, stated that the fate of 200,000 KRL commuters will be at stake. Passenger congestion is likely to occur due to a shortage of trains.

"The chaos at Manggarai Station, due to poor design of escalator and elevator placement causing passenger congestion, already angered the President. What if 200,000 more passengers per day are congested due to a lack of trains?" Agus said in a written statement to *Databoks*.