Danantara to Begin Railway Electrification Project in May 2026

Danantara’s Operational Director Dony Oskaria has stated that the company plans to start the railway line electrification project on 20 May 2026. “We will hold the groundbreaking for the electrification of the Jakarta-Cikampek, Jakarta-Sukabumi, and Jakarta-Cilegon lines,” said Dony, as quoted from Antara on Wednesday, 29 April 2026.

Dony, who is also the Head of the BUMN Supervisory Board, explained that the electrification of these railway lines aims to revitalise new cities along the routes. Additionally, it is expected to reduce pollution and improve efficiency in rail transport. “By implementing electrification, this will reduce urbanisation,” Dony stated.

Therefore, railway electrification has become one of the key performance indicators (KPIs) for the railway industry. “I always say that railways only have two KPIs. One related to safety, and the second is electrification,” Dony remarked.

PT Kereta Api Indonesia (Persero) and PT PLN (Persero) signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the Plan for Railway Line Electrification Cooperation at the Jakarta Railways Center Auditorium in October 2025. This strategic collaboration between the two state-owned enterprises represents a crucial commitment to accelerating national railway electrification, enhancing efficiency and reliability, and supporting the Net Zero Emission target for 2060.

PT KAI’s President Director Bobby Rasyidin explained that this partnership opens up significant opportunities to expand the electric rail service network in various potential regions. It marks the first breakthrough in railway electrification without involving the state budget or any schemes, implemented through a business-to-business (B2B) model between KAI and PLN.

For PT KAI, the benefits include improvements in service quality, comfort, and speed. Meanwhile, for PLN, electrification expands the dominance of clean energy use in the transportation sector.