Commuter Rail Passengers and Traders Express Concerns Following Official Closure of Karet Station

The closure of Karet Station is beginning to impact passengers who have long relied on the station as a key transit point. Starting Tuesday (1/9/2026), Commuter Line (KRL) users are being redirected to the New Sudirman Station, also known as BNI City.

Observations by CNBC Indonesia show that passengers from the Karet Station area can reach BNI City via a pedestrian walkway alongside the river. This access point is approximately 150 metres from the original Karet Station entrance.

For some passengers, this additional distance presents a challenge, as they must now walk further before continuing their journeys. “To be honest, there is a bit of difficulty. It is quite a bit of extra effort. If it doesn’t rain, it’s fine, but the concern is when it rains,” said Ahmad Suradi, a regular commuter who previously used Karet Station, when interviewed on Tuesday.

Ahmad had chosen Karet Station due to its proximity to his residence. With the change in service, he must now adjust his travel route, even though the distance to BNI City remains walkable.

Another passenger, Teguh, also noted changes in travel time since the KRL no longer stops at Karet Station. He typically disembarked at Karet before continuing his journey towards the Kuningan and Mal Ambassador areas.

“Yes, the distance is longer. Usually, I would get off and be on the street almost immediately; now I have to walk perhaps 200 metres or more before reaching the road,” Teguh remarked.

This situation could become more troublesome for passengers with limited travel time, as commuters must now account for the extra time needed to walk from the Karet area to BNI City. “I feel for the passengers, especially the elderly,” Teguh added.

Meanwhile, Tiroh, a vendor selling packaged drinks and coffee adjacent to Karet Station, stated that the decrease in foot traffic has been evident since the station ceased serving KRL passengers this morning. This shift has directly impacted the level of business in her area.

“Yes, the people are gone. About half of them are no longer here,” Tiroh told CNBC Indonesia near the Karet Station area.

She noted that while people still pass through the area, the volume is not as high as when Karet Station was an active stop for boarding and alighting passengers. “They still pass through here, but not all of them. It is not like before; it has decreased, but thankfully, business is still running,” she said.

The closure of Karet Station is part of an integration process with the New Sudirman/BNI City Station. KAI Commuter has diverted all KRL passenger services from Karet Station to BNI City effective 1 September 2026.

Moving forward, access between the two stations will become increasingly integrated through the redevelopment of the area and the walkways currently being used by passengers. Previously, 264 Commuter Line trips daily on the Kampung Bandan/Cikarang line passed through both Karet and BNI City stations.