Origins of Karet Station, Officially Closed Today, Dating Back to 1922

Karet Station has now become part of the history of railway travel in Jakarta. From Tuesday, 1 September 2026, the station located in the Kebon Melati area of Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta, no longer serves KRL passengers.

Passengers who previously boarded or alighted at Karet Station must now switch to Sudirman Baru or BNI City Station. The closure is linked to plans to integrate Karet Station with Sudirman Baru/BNI City Station.

Before its closure, however, Karet Station had undergone a considerable journey. The station had been in operation for more than 100 years.

Karet Station first opened on 1 August 1922. At that time, the station formed part of the Tanah Abang–Manggarai railway line, which began operating in the same year.

The construction of the Tanah Abang–Manggarai line was inseparable from changes to Batavia’s urban layout. The line replaced the Salemba railway line, which had been affected by the reorganisation of the city.

Karet Station subsequently underwent changes in line with the development of Jakarta’s railway system. In the 1980s, the line was electrified and a number of stations were renovated to support the operation of the Jakarta Loop Line KRL service.

The work was completed in 1987. In the same year, the Jakarta Loop Line service began operating.

The location of Karet Station also made it well known to KRL users. The station is situated not far from the Karet Tengsin office area and the Karet Bivak cemetery.

Interestingly, the name Karet itself is linked to the area’s past as a rubber plantation. There is also a story about the origin of the name Karet Tengsin, where the area once had a rubber plantation associated with Tan Tieng Shin, a Chinese figure known for his philanthropy. The name Tieng Shin later evolved in local pronunciation to become ‘Tengsin’.

Discussions about merging Karet Station and Sudirman Baru Station are not new. The idea first emerged in 2022, when the operational pattern of the Jabodetabek Commuter Line underwent changes.