Upgrade trains for traffic relief

Upgrade trains for traffic relief

There have been several options discussed about trying to deal
with the gridlock traffic in Jakarta. Notable ideas are a light
rail system and the busway. There is another option not yet
discussed -- a train system.

At the moment, the Bogor to Jakarta and Bekasi to Jakarta
lines transport thousands or tens of thousands of people between
the cities each day. At the moment, there is a railway line to
Tanggerang but the passenger services are so few that people
often congregate around the railway lines.

Instead of building new infrastructure, could it be possible
to use the Tanggerang to Jakarta section of the railway line with
trains departing every 20 minutes and have a 200-meter to 300-
meter track linking the line to Kota station? Railway lines that
exist may have to be upgraded and trains purchased and current
freight trains discontinued or run at night time, but the
infrastructure exists.

MARK OGILVIE
Jakarta