Palembang LRT

The South Sumatra Light Rapid Transit^[5] (Indonesian: Lintas Rel Terpadu Sumatera Selatan, lit. "South Sumatra Integrated Rail Line", shortened to LRT Sumatera Selatan or LRT Sumsel), colloquially known as LRT Palembang or Palembang LRT, is an operational light rapid transit system in Palembang, South Sumatra, Indonesia which connects Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II International Airport and Jakabaring Sport City. It is the first practical modern light rapid system to operate in Indonesia.^{[lower-alpha 1]} It was also the first rail line as a rapid transit system in the country.

Palembang LRT
LRT Palembang rolling stock train made by PT Inka, parked at LRT Depo near OPI Mall.
Overview
Owner	Directorate General of Railways (DJKA) of the Ministry of Transportation
Locale	Palembang, Indonesia
Transit type	Light rapid transit
Number of lines	1
Number of stations	13
Daily ridership	±11.000 (weekdays) ±15.000 (weekends)[1]
Annual ridership	4.082.179 (2023)[2]
Operation
Began operation	August 1, 2018; 6 years ago (2018-08-01)
Operator(s)	Kereta Api Indonesia
Character	Elevated
Number of vehicles	8
Train length	3 carriages
Headway	17 minutes
Technical
System length	23.4 km (14.5 mi)[3]
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification	750 V DC third rail
Average speed	40 km/h (25 mph)[4]
Top speed	80 km/h (50 mph)[4]
System map P01 SMB II Airport P02 Asrama Haji P03 Punti Kayu P04 RSUD P05 Garuda Dempo P06 Demang P07 Bumi Sriwijaya P08 Dishub P09 Cinde P10 Ampera Musi River P11 Polresta P12 Jakabaring P13 DJKA Ogan Permata Indah Depot All stations has connection to Trans Musi transit bus.

The system is owned by Directorate General of Railways, Ministry of Transportation of the Republic of Indonesia, Government of South Sumatra, and Government of Palembang; PT Kereta Api Indonesia was appointed to operate the system.

Starting construction in 2015, the project was built to facilitate the 2018 Asian Games and was completed in mid-2018, just a few months before the event. Costing Rp 10.9 trillion for construction, the system utilizes trains made by local manufacturer PT INKA. The system's only line has a total of 13 stations, fully grade-separated by viaduct.

Construction and costs

By 2012, the provincial government already had plans for a transit system in the city, signing a MoU with investors to construct a 25-kilometre long (16 mi) monorail system connecting the city's airport and Jakabaring Sport City.^[6] However, the monorail project was replaced by a higher capacity Light rapid transit (LRT) line in 2015 since Governor of South Sumatra Alex Noerdin thought that LRT is more effective in reducing traffic congestion.^[7]

Because Palembang was chosen to host the 2018 Asian Games, the project was pushed to be completed before the event was scheduled to begin.^[8] Groundbreaking for the project occurred in November 2015, with state-owned company Waskita Karya being appointed as the primary contractor following the issuance of Presidential Regulation 116 of 2015 on Acceleration of Railway Train Operation in South Sumatera Province.^[3][9] The contract, which was signed in February 2017, was initially valued at Rp 12.5 trillion.^[10][11] Construction was scheduled for completion in February 2018, with commercial service beginning in May 2018.^[12] However, the completion date was moved to June 2018 with operations beginning in July, only one month before the Asian Games.^[13]

Palembang Light Rapid Transit under construction

A test run was done on 22 May 2018. It was later inaugurated by President Joko Widodo on 15 July 2018.^[13][14] Operations for the LRT started on 1 August, several days before the Jakarta LRT began running, making it the first operational LRT system in the country.^[15] The final value of the contract was Rp 10.9 trillion (US$755 million).^[15] The reduction in cost was due to a review by supervising consultants from SMEC International.^[11] Close to the start of the event, the trains often encountered operational issues.^[16] Waskita initially paid for the construction, with the government reimbursing the fees over a four-year period.^[17]

Prominent opposition figure and Gerindra leader Prabowo Subianto criticized the cost of construction, claiming that typical LRT lines worldwide cost US$8 million/km to construct while the Palembang LRT cost US$24 million/km.^[17] As a comparison, the cancelled Sheppard East LRT in Toronto would have cost US$56.7 million/km.^[18] The Palembang LRT project leader compared the higher cost to other projects in neighboring countries: the Kelana Jaya line (US$65.52 million/km) and the Manila Light Rail Transit Line 1 extension (US$74.6 million/km).^[17]

Infrastructure

Rolling stock

As of August 2018, the service operates eight sets of trains delivered in April 2018, each with 3 carriages for a total of 24 carriages.^[19] Weighing 88 tons per carriage, a full train has a total capacity of 722 passengers, 231 in the first and third carriages, with the remaining 260 in the center carriage. Of this, the seating capacity is 78.^[20]

The electrical trains operate on 750 V DC voltage.^[21] Individual carriages, made from stainless steel, have a roof height of 3.7 m (12 ft 2 in) and a floor height of 1,025 mm (40.4 in). The gap between bogies is 11.5 m (37 ft 9 in), with the total length of the current trains (3 carriages) at 51,800 millimetres (169 ft 11 in). The trains are assembled by PT INKA, with around half of the components manufactured locally.^[22]

Stations

The only line of the system serves 13 stations, all elevated. Six stations were initially opened to public in August 2018, with the rest gradually opening in the following months.^[23]

Station name	Opening
Bandara SMB II	1 August 2018[23]
Asrama Haji	7 September 2018[24]
Puntikayu	24 September 2018[25]
RSUD	25 September 2018[26]
Garuda Dempo	19 October 2018[27]
Demang	6 October 2018[28]
Bumi Sriwijaya	1 August 2018[23]
Dishub	20 September 2018[29]
Cinde	1 August 2018[23]
Ampera	1 August 2018[23]
Polresta	27 September 2018[30]
Jakabaring	1 August 2018[23]
DJKA	1 August 2018[23]

Track

The train uses a 1,067 mm (3 ft 6.0 in) ballastless, elevated track. The signalling for the track uses fixed-block signalling. Stretching 23.4 kilometres (14.5 mi) between the airport in the northwest and train depot in the southeast, the track is supported by 9 electrical substations and a third rail.^[3][31] After passing Ampera station, the train crosses the Musi River next to the Ampera Bridge.^[32]

Operation

The train runs from 05:05 am to 08:43 pm, with 94 trips per day and a headway of 17 minutes.^[1] A full trip of the only line takes up to 49 minutes.^[33] In each station, the trains have a transit time of approximately 1 minute, except for the two terminuses at the depot and airport, where they stop for 10 minutes.^[31]

Fares

The fare separates passengers riding to and from the airport and those who do not, with the former paying a higher fare of Rp10,000 while the latter paying Rp5,000.^[34] Students can apply for unlimited-ride transit passes with the low price of Rp25,000/month.^[35] The fares are subsidized by the central government, which spent Rp120–180 billion annually to cover the operating cost of the system.^[36][37]

Ridership

The government targets a daily ridership of 96,000 with an increased figure of 110,000 by 2030.^[38] Between July 2018 and February 2019, around 1 million passengers travelled on the LRT.^[39] In November 2019, the operating company reported around 6,000 daily riders on weekdays and 10,000 on weekends, and that by October 2019 3 million trips had been completed.^[40] Daily ridership declined sharply in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.^[2] However, by the first half of 2022, daily ridership had risen to exceed the pre-pandemic number.^[41] In 2023, LRT South Sumatera Palembang reported around rises 11.000 daily riders on weekdays and 15.000 on Weekend after new normal pre- pandemic COVID-19.

Notes

1. The first light rail system in Indonesia is SHS-23 Aeromovel Indonesia in Jakarta, inaugurated in 1989. However, it is operating inside Taman Mini Indonesia Indah theme park, so it is not a practical urban light rail system.

References

1. Rosana, Dolly. "KAI tambah jam operasional LRT Sumsel". Antara News. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
2. Irwanto (12 September 2021). "Selama Pandemi Covid-19, Penumpang LRT Sumsel Turun Nyaris 2 Kali Lipat". merdeka.com. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
3. "LRT South Sumatra is Ready to be Operated for Asian Games 2018". Waskita Karya. 10 July 2018. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
4. "Jajal Uji Coba Dinamis LRT Sumsel, Menhub Budi Sebut Segini Kecepatan Maksimalnya". Tribun Video (in Indonesian). 28 May 2018. Retrieved 20 August 2018.
5. Komalasari, Yeti. "Light Rapid Transit (LRT) Transport Integration Performance (Case Study on LRT South Sumatra in 2019-2021)". Jurnal Manajemen Kepemimpinan dan Supervisi Pendidikan. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
6. "Palembang Bakal Punya Monorel Sepanjang 25 Km". Detik (in Indonesian). 27 November 2012. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
7. Gumiwang, Ringkang (9 March 2015). "Proyek Monorel Bandara-Jakabaring Batal, Pemprov Sumsel Pilih LRT". Bisnis.com (in Indonesian). Archived from the original on 24 July 2018. Retrieved 22 August 2018.
8. Lubis, Anggi M. (5 November 2015). "Waskita to develop LRT in Palembang for Asian Games". The Jakarta Post. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
9. Kusuma, Hendra (2 November 2015). "Waskita Groundbreaking LRT Palembang Bulan Ini". Okezone (in Indonesian). Retrieved 14 August 2018.
10. Susanty, Ferida (16 February 2017). "LRT Palembang contract to be signed on Thursday". The Jakarta Post. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
11. Kusuma, Hendra (5 July 2018). "Disebut Boros, Biaya LRT Palembang Justru Turun Jadi Rp 10,9 T". Detik (in Indonesian). Retrieved 14 August 2018.
12. "Palembang LRT to begin commercial service in May 2018". The Jakarta Post. 24 October 2017. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
13. "Palembang LRT to Be Ready in July; Initial Fare Set at Rp 5,000". Jakarta Globe. 14 February 2018.
14. "Palembang ready to Operate 6 LRT Stations in July". Tempo. Retrieved 24 June 2018.
15. Andriyanto, Heru; Tambun, Lenny Tristia (1 August 2018). "Palembang LRT Begins Operations, Jakarta to Follow Next Week". Jakarta Globe. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
16. Afriyadi, Achmad Dwi (13 August 2018). "LRT Palembang Berkali-kali Mogok". Detik (in Indonesian). Retrieved 14 August 2018.
17. Jinnah, Selfie Miftahul (21 June 2018). "Dituding Prabowo Kemahalan, Berapa Sih Biaya Bangun LRT Palembang?". Detik (in Indonesian). Retrieved 14 August 2018.
18. "LRT and Subway Construction Costs". Toronto LRT. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
19. "Inka Kirimkan Sarana LRT Palembang April 2018". Investor Daily Indonesia (in Indonesian). 14 March 2017. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
20. "Kereta LRT Palembang Buatan INKA Bisa Angkut Maksimal 722 Penumpang". Kumparan (in Indonesian). 13 March 2017. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
21. Putra, Aji YK (12 April 2018). "Ini Perbedaan LRT di Palembang dan Jakarta". KOMPAS (in Indonesian). Retrieved 14 August 2018.
22. "55% Komponen LRT Palembang yang Diproduksi INKA Masih Impor". Kumparan (in Indonesian). 10 April 2018. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
23. Siregar, Raja Adil. "LRT Palembang Mulai Beroperasi Hari Ini". detikfinance (in Indonesian). Retrieved 21 August 2022.
24. "Jadwal LRT Palembang Terbaru, Stasiun Asrama Haji Operasional, Catat Agar tak Telat". Tribunsumsel.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 21 August 2022.
25. "Stasiun Punti Kayu Palembang Beroperasi Masih Sepi Penumpang". Sripoku.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 21 August 2022.
26. "Jadwal LRT di Palembang Terbaru 25 September, Stasiun RSUD Dibuka, 6 Trainset". Tribunsumsel.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 21 August 2022.
27. "Stasiun LRT Palembang Garuda Dempo Mulai Beroperasi, Total 13 Stasiun Bisa Digunakan". Tribunsumsel.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 21 August 2022.
28. "Update LRT Palembang, Stasiun Demang 6 Oktober Resmi Dibuka, Sudah 470 Ribu Penumpang Naik LRT". Tribunsumsel.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 21 August 2022.
29. "Stasiun LRT Dishub Dioperasikan, Penumpang Bisa Naik-Turun di Stasiun ini". Tribunsumsel.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 21 August 2022.
30. "Hari Ini LRT Stasiun Polresta Palembang Mulai Beroperasi". Tribunnews.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 21 August 2022.
31. "Kereta LRT Palembang Berhenti 1 Menit di Setiap Stasiun". Kumparan (in Indonesian). 13 March 2017. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
32. "Melintasi Sungai Musi, LRT Palembang Mulai Beroperasi". Detik (in Indonesian). 24 July 2017. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
33. "LRT Palembang Tutup Jam Berapa, Berikut Jadwal Lengkap LRT Palembang 2022, Operasi Tiap Hari". Tribunsumsel.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 21 August 2022.
34. Luciana, Anisa (1 August 2018). "Kemenhub: Subsidi Tarif Tiket LRT Palembang hingga 2019". Tempo (in Indonesian). Retrieved 14 August 2018.
35. Kenedy, Humaidy Aditya (22 March 2022). "Ini Keuntungan Miliki Kartu Berlangganan LRT Sumsel". RMOLSUMSEL (in Indonesian). Retrieved 21 August 2022.
36. "2020, Subsidi LRT Palembang Naik Menjadi Rp180 Miliar". merdeka.com. 2 August 2019. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
37. Media, Kompas Cyber (13 January 2022). "Termasuk LRT Palembang, Ini Daftar Kereta Api Subsidi Tahun 2022 Halaman all". KOMPAS.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 21 August 2022.
38. Ramdhiani, Arimbi (24 May 2017). "Proyek LRT Palembang yang Menarik Perhatian Sri Mulyani". KOMPAS (in Indonesian). Retrieved 14 August 2018.
39. Nasrulhak, Akfa (11 February 2019). "Hingga Februari 2019, LRT Palembang Angkut 1 Juta Penumpang". detikfinance (in Indonesian). Retrieved 4 May 2019.
40. "LRT Palembang Sudah Layani Tiga Juta Penumpang". Republika (in Indonesian). 17 November 2019. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
41. Santia, Tira (23 July 2022). "4 Tahun Beroperasi, LRT Palembang Angkut 7,7 Juta Penumpang". liputan6.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 21 August 2022.

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