PT KAI to link Jl. Sudirman and Jl. Rasuna Said via railway station

Damar Harsanto, Jakarta

State railway company PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) will extend Dukuh Atas railway station on Jl. Sudirman, Central Jakarta, in the direction of Jl. H.R. Rasuna Said, South Jakarta, in an attempt to link the two lucrative business areas.

"We are carrying out a feasibility study this year. If the study is completed this year and all necessary permits are obtained, we can proceed with the construction next year," PT KAI Greater Jakarta division head Rahmadi told The Jakarta Post.

PT KAI recently signed a memorandum of understanding with publicly listed developer PT Jaya Real Property for the project.

Rahmadi said the new station would be around 600 meters in length, compared with its current length of 250 meters.

"We also plan to incorporate shops and cafes on both sides of the station. We want to take advantage of the large numbers of passengers (from Greater Jakarta) that pass through the station every day," he said.

He acknowledged he had yet to submit the proposal to the city administration.

Assistant to the City Secretary for Development Affairs IGKG Suena confirmed that the administration has yet to receive the plan.

"They (PT KAI) must present their plan to us before going ahead with the project as part of the area is also within the West Flood Canal bank," he said.

Riverbanks are one area strictly prohibited for commercial purposes.

In a related development, the administration plans to build a sidewalk to link the station and the busway stop in front of the Wisma Indocement building nearby.

"This is part of our effort to integrate different means of transportation in the city," said Jakarta Transportation Agency head Rustam Effendy Sidabutar.

He added the sidewalk was in line with the pedestrian project being carried out by the Jakarta Parks Agency. The agency will build a sidewalk 2.5 meters wide and 380 meters long.