KAI strengthens railway electrification to support modern urban mobility

Jakarta — PT Kereta Api Indonesia is strengthening railway electrification as the main driver of modern urban mobility through transportation services that are efficient, environmentally friendly, reliable, and capable of supporting urban-area growth. “The growth of urban mobility over the past decade has driven the need to strengthen railway electrification in metropolitan areas,” said Anne Purba, Vice President Corporate Communications of KAI, in a statement in Jakarta on Saturday. The increase in electric commuter trains (KRL) journeys, the expansion of suburban residential areas, and the growth of economic activity centres have made electricity supply requirements larger to ensure smooth operations of train journeys. Anne said electrification plays a crucial role in modern urban transport systems because it is closely linked to journey capacity, operational stability, and the reliability of signalling systems managed jointly by the Directorate General of Railways (DJKA) of the Ministry of Transportation. She said that as the number of KRL journeys continues to rise, electricity demand also grows, making electrification reinforcement important to maintain operational stability. “This includes supporting the signalling system, and ensuring KRL journeys remain safe and reliable on routes with increasingly dense traffic,” Anne said. Based on travel in urban areas and railway electrification research, Anne continued, the number of KRL users rose significantly over the past 10 years from 257 million journeys in 2015 to 401 million journeys in 2025. During that period there were more than 140 million additional journeys by urban residents. Mobility recovery was also rapid after the pandemic, with user growth reaching 50 per cent in 2022 and rising again by 31 per cent in 2023. The surge in mobility is reflected in the total daily KRL journeys. In 2015, KRL journeys totalled 881 per day and rose to 1,063 per day in 2025. The Bogor Line became the line with the highest travel frequency, reaching 299 journeys per day, followed by Bekasi Line with 232 journeys and Serpong Line with 204 journeys. This condition demonstrates the need for capacity and stability of the operating system on urban lines with dense traffic. Anne explained that as headways become tighter, the operating system requires stronger and more stable electrification support. Adequate power supply is a key factor in maintaining KRL performance, including supporting signalling equipment, electric substations, and operational arrangements on busy routes coordinated with DJKA of the Ministry of Transportation. “When urban mobility increases very rapidly, power infrastructure needs to be reinforced so operations remain stable and the risk of journey disruptions can be kept to a minimum,” Anne said. The research also shows that Jabodetabek urban mobility has developed into one of the largest in Southeast Asia, with total journeys reaching 349.3 million in 2025. That figure is much higher than other urban regions such as Bandung with 18.7 million journeys, Surabaya with 16 million journeys, and Yogyakarta with 10.1 million journeys. “This development goes hand in hand with the transformation of urban railway services that continues to be encouraged,” Anne said. Furthermore, Anne said the Directorate General of Railways, Ministry of Transportation, together with railway operators, are strengthening station revitalisation, intermodality integration, service digitalisation, strengthening connectivity to strategic areas, and developing new mobility hubs in metropolitan areas. “Thus electrification becomes an important part of supporting the whole system so that it can operate in an integrated and sustainable manner,” Anne added.