Groundbreaking for Railway Electrification to Begin on 20 May 2026, with 3 Routes as Priorities

Jakarta, VIVA – Danantara’s Operational Director Dony Oskaria has revealed plans to commence the railway line electrification project. The groundbreaking is scheduled for 20 May 2026 for three of the busiest routes.

Dony, who also serves as Head of the BUMN Supervisory Body, stated that the electrification of these railway lines aims to revitalise new cities along the routes.

“This year, on 20 May, we will hold the groundbreaking for the electrification of Jakarta-Cikampek, Jakarta-Sukabumi, and Jakarta-Cilegon,” Dony said in Jakarta, quoted on Wednesday, 29 April 2026.

Furthermore, the electrification of railway lines is expected to reduce pollution and improve efficiency in rail transport.

“By electrifying, we reduce urbanisation,” Dony remarked.

Therefore, he emphasised that railway electrification is 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 stated.

PT Kereta Api Indonesia (Persero) and PT PLN (Persero) signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the Electrification of Railway Lines at the Jakarta Railways Center Auditorium on Monday (20/10/2025).

This strategic collaboration between the two state-owned enterprises (BUMNs) serves as a crucial milestone in accelerating the national railway electrification, which will enhance efficiency, reliability, and support the Net Zero Emission target for 2060.

KAI President Director Bobby Rasyidin explained that this partnership opens up significant opportunities to expand electric-based railway services in various potential regions.

This represents the first breakthrough in railway electrification without involving the state budget (APBN), purely through a business-to-business (B2B) scheme between KAI and PLN.

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

The BUMN Supervisory Body, along with Danantara, continues to encourage KAI to transform into a modern, competitive, and adaptive transportation company in line with evolving times.

These efforts are expected to support public mobility while providing tangible contributions to national economic growth and supporting the government’s zero-emission targets. (Ant)