JAKARTA — LRT Velodrome-Manggarai is targeted for inauguration in August 2026. If that schedule slips, Jakarta’s transport integration plans, which rely heavily on intermodal connections in the city center, will feel it immediately.
LRT Velodrome-Manggarai enters final stage
Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung said the Jakarta Provincial Government has decided to complete Jakarta LRT Phase 1B, from Velodrome to Manggarai, as soon as possible. The project carries an investment value of Rp12.5 trillion and includes 11 stations.
Pramono announced the target during the groundbreaking for the Dukuh Atas pedestrian deck in Central Jakarta on Sunday (June 21). “The Jakarta government has decided that the LRT from Velodrome to Manggarai will hopefully be inaugurated this August. The investment totals Rp12.5 trillion, with 11 station points, and we will connect it all the way to Dukuh Atas,” Pramono said.
The line matters because it links East Jakarta’s corridor to one of the capital’s busiest mobility hubs. Manggarai has long been prepared as a passenger collection point from multiple directions. Once the LRT connection is in place, daily travel flows could become shorter and more orderly.
For commuters, the message is simple: there will be more options to travel without a private car. For local authorities, the project is far more complex than laying track. The track, signaling, power supply, and operating systems all have to fit together.
Dukuh Atas is projected to become a six-mode hub
Pramono also stressed that Jakarta LRT Phase 1B does not stop at Manggarai. The Jakarta administration is preparing a further connection to the Dukuh Atas area to strengthen public transport integration in the capital.
He said Dukuh Atas will become a meeting point for six modes of transport at once. Those modes include MRT Jakarta, LRT Jakarta, LRT Jabodebek, the Airport Rail Link, TransJakarta, and the KRL Commuter Line.
“So Dukuh Atas will have MRT, LRT, both the one run by the Jakarta government and the central government, then the Airport Rail Link, then TransJakarta, KCI (KRL). So there will be six,” Pramono said.
Intermodal hubs like this often decide how comfortable a journey feels. The fewer the troublesome transfers, the easier it is for people to leave private vehicles behind. And that is the core of many transport policies in big cities: making mode changes feel normal, not exhausting.
In Jakarta, Dukuh Atas is already known as a crowded area during commute hours. If the physical connections are built tightly, the area could become a far more effective transit point than just a name on a transport map.
System testing will determine readiness
Beyond the inauguration target, technical work is still underway in the field. Previously, PT Waskita Karya (Persero) Tbk and PT Jakarta Propertindo (Jakpro) began a series of testing and commissioning, or T&C, for the Jakarta LRT Phase 1B rail system.
One step already carried out was testing the 3.6-kilometer track connecting Velodrome Station and Pramuka Station. This stage matters because an elevated line cannot be operated just because construction is finished. The system must work as one unit.
Jakpro President Director Iwan Takwin previously said the T&C process is being carried out thoroughly so that all systems are ready before commercial operations begin. “Every meter of the elevated track of Jakarta LRT Phase 1B is our responsibility to the people of DKI Jakarta who will rely on the LRT every day. That is why this T&C stage must be prepared very carefully,” he said in a written statement.
The testing covers the track, signaling, electricity, communications, and inter-system operational integration. Stages like this are often invisible to the public, yet passenger safety is decided there. One component that is not synchronized can disrupt the entire operating schedule.
That is why the August 2026 target has become a tight timeline. The provincial government and project managers must balance physical completion with system readiness. Not just finished on paper. Ready to use.
Why the project matters for Jakarta residents
For residents, the LRT Velodrome-Manggarai project has a direct impact on travel time, route connections, and transfer comfort. The line opens better access from eastern Jakarta to the city’s mobility core, especially for workers and students who depend on public transport every day.
In practice, this kind of integration can also ease pressure on certain modes. If intermodal connections run smoothly, passengers do not need to force one type of transport to carry the whole trip. Travel becomes more flexible. More efficient. And, at least on paper, it saves both energy and time.
The Rp12.5 trillion project also shows how costly it is to build a properly connected urban transport network. Yet the size of the investment matches Jakarta’s growing needs. A city with this level of daily movement cannot depend on just one or two transport modes.
Pramono ended his explanation with optimism that good connectivity will make Jakarta more comfortable and safer. “That is what shows that if everything is properly connected later, I am sure Jakarta will become more comfortable and safer,” he said.
After this August target, public attention will shift to one next question: can the Dukuh Atas connection keep pace with the Velodrome-Manggarai LRT build without disrupting the operational readiness already scheduled?
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