KRL Commuterline, commonly known as Greater Jakarta Commuter rail, Jakarta Commuter rail, and KRL Commuter Line Jabodetabek is a commuter rail system for Greater Jakarta in Indonesia. It was previously known as KRL Jabodetabek. It is operated by KAI Commuter (KAIC), a subsidiary of the Indonesian national railway company PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI). The rail system uses rolling stock of rapid transit standard and operates high frequency services with minimum headway. In 2026, the average number of Commuterline users per day reached 1.1 million. During June-July 2025, this figure surged to 1.3 million per day.
"KRL" itself stands for "Kereta Rel Listrik" (literally "electric rail train" or "electric railcar"), a term for an electric multiple unit train.
History Colonial era In 1917, a plan to introduce electric railways in what was then Batavia known as Jakarta was made by Dutch colonial railway company Staatsspoorwegen. A railway between Tanjung Priok to Meester Cornelis (Jatinegara) was the first line to be electrified, becoming the first narrow gauge electric railway service in Southeast Asia. The electric rail construction began in 1923 and completed on 24 December 1924, powered by 1500 V DC overhead wires. The line was opened on 6 April 1925—in time for the SS 50th anniversary—with 3000-series electric locomotives from SLM–BBC (Swiss Locomotive and Machine Works – Brown Boveri & Cie), 3100-series electric locomotives from AEG Germany, 3200-series electric locomotives from Werkspoor Netherlands and passenger coaches, as well as 30 ESS 100/200/400 EMU passenger motor and trailer cars forming electric multiple unit rakes, all manufactured for the railway by Westinghouse and General Electric.
The electrification project continued and on 1 May 1927, all the rail lines that surround Batavia had been fully electrified. Batavia Zuid station (now Jakarta Kota) was temporarily closed in 1926 and was reopened on 8 October 1929 to accommodate the new electric motive power that by then had become an envy of the region, which by then had been dominated by steam. The last part of the electrification project, Batavia Zuid – Buitenzorg (Bogor), was completed in 1930. After independence in 1945, in periods before and after a brief return to Dutch government control for the network and also a 4-year Japanese operation of the railways during the Second World War, the Jakarta electric railway fell under the supervision of the new Indonesian government thru DKARI (Djawatan Kereta Api Repoeblik Indonesia, Indonesian Railways Service, former name of the present KAI), with Indonesian personnel controlling its assets. The city's growth postwar led to the network becoming the nation's true first commuter rail service, combined with steam and later on diesel powered commuter trains serving the capital and its suburbs.
Decline and revival Transportation in Jakarta was at its lowest point during the 1960s. Tramways in Jakarta were closed in 1960 and railway traffic on Manggarai – Jakarta Kota was restricted in November 1966. In 1965, a portion of railway line between Gondangdia and Sawah Besar was stripped from electrification, with remaining services on the portion now powered by steam and diesel trains. It was reported that then-President Sukarno wanted to get rid of anything that would block the view of Monas and Merdeka Square, then still under construction. After Sukarno's fall, the electrification was later reconstructed and was formally reopened in 1970 sans the EMUs, two converted into diesel railbuses, the rest into locomotive hauled trains for the steam and diesel traction of the capital commuter runs, as well as the remaining electric locomotives from the 1920s.
On 16 May 1972, The National Railway Corporation of Indonesia (Perusahaan Negara Kereta Api/PNKA, successor of DKA), as part of the festivities for the 47th anniversary of the electric railways, finally ordered 10 new sets of electric multiple units from Japan, leading to the revival of the electric train services within Greater Jakarta. The new trains, built by Nippon Sharyo, arrived in 1976 - as a belated gift for the Golden Jubilee of the commuter train services the previous year, 1975 - and replaced the old locomotives and locomotive-hauled coaches on the then electric lines, driven by the then ongoing rehabilitation efforts on the rest of the network and funding that precipated another round of expansion into the suburbs of the capital. These EMU sets consisted of four cars each, with capacity of 134 passengers per car. Those new trains (commonly known as EMU Rheostatik) will continue serving the passengers in Jakarta for the next 37 years. PNKA continued importing trains from Japan, South Korea, Belgium and Netherlands until the late 1990s, while it also accepted Indonesian builds by local manufacturer Industri Kereta Api beginning 1987. By the 1990s, Greater Jakarta commuter rail used a mixture of EMUs and DMUs, with lines waiting for electrification used Japan-made DMUs (class MCW 302) or diesel locomotive-hauled commuter coaches. It was on the non-electrified network where the 1987 Bintaro train crash occurred, the biggest single tragedy not just of the commuter network, but of the then Indonesian Railways Service Corporation LLC (Perusahaan Jawatan Kereta Api, PJKA, later on Perusahaan Umum Kereta Api or Permuka, the Indonesian Railways Public Corporation LLC) as a whole, spurring an era of change across the entire national rail network, and not just on the commuter services and the trainsets used in this venture. This happened just 3 years before the formal debut of electric commuter express services on the then active lines, that began in 1990 as part of the 65th anniversary of the electric commuter rail system, and before parts of the line from Jakarta Kota south to Gambir were changed from ground level to elevated tracks in 1991-92. Yet another train collision in the network in 1992 - this time in the Bogor main line - resulted in much of the rest of said line being double tracked.
In May 2000, the government of Japan via JICA and Tokyo Metropolitan Government donated 72 units of used Toei 6000 trains, formerly operating on Toei Mita Line. These were the first fully air-conditioned electric trains in Indonesia - the second after some of Permuka's INKA and Japan-made EMUs converted to mixed executive-business class for express trips with retrofitted AC systems. The new trains began their service as express EMUs beginning 25 August 2000.
Commuterline era
The current form of electric train service in Jakarta was begun in 2008. Jabotabek Urban Transport Division, a sub-unit of KAI that handles commuter service around Jabodetabek, spun-off to form KAI Commuterline Jabodetabek (KCJ). Ticket revenues, rolling stock maintenance, and station management was transferred to the newly formed subsidiary, but all operational matters (e.g. scheduling and dispatching), rolling stock, stations and infrastructures remained under KAI responsibility. At the same time, all track matters and station construction and maintenance were handled by the Ministry of Transportation.
The modernization of the commuter railway system, however, did not begin until 2011. Network operations were greatly simplified from 37 point-to-point service patterns into six integrated lines (known as "loop line" system) all running local, stopping at every station, as all express services were abolished. Service was also simplified into two service classes: Economy class (cheaper service without air conditioning, subsidized by Ministry of Transportation) and Commuter class (more expensive service with air conditioning). On 17 April 2013, the Commuterline extension to Maja in the Green Line commenced operation. On 25 July 2013, the economy class was discontinued, leaving the Commuter class as the sole service class throughout the network. In July 2013, the operator introduced the COMMET (Commuter Electronic Ticketing) system replacing the old paper ticket system and changing the old fare system into 'progressive fare' system, as well as modernization of all 80 serving stations.
Starting on 1 April 2015, the Nambo line extension operation formally commenced. Three line extensions have been opened between 2015 and 2017: the extension of Pink Line to Tanjung Priuk station which commenced operation on 22 December 2015, the extension of Green Line to Rangkasbitung station which commenced operation on 1 April 2017, and the extension of Blue Line to Cikarang station which commenced operation on 8 October 2017. In July 2015, KA Commuter Jabodetabek served more than 850,000 passengers per day, which is almost triple the 2011 figures, but still less than 3.5% of all Jabodetabek commutes.
Until 5 March 2014, KA Commuter Jabodetabek only operates 8-car trainsets on all lines. In 2016, the operation of 12-car trainsets commenced. As of December 2019, it operates 1,057 trips per day by 90 trains. Importation of used Japanese trainsets for use in Commuterline resulted in a 2023 controversy, when the importation of the used trains were banned.
In May 2022, KAI Commuter announced some changes to the network, marking the first modification of the routing system since 2011 reform. The Loop Line was discontinued with its Jatinegara-Manggarai loop part being absorbed by the Cikarang Line, which ceased service from Manggarai to Jakarta Kota in favor of the loop and was rebranded as Cikarang Loop Line with blue-circled "C" symbol. The Nambo branch of the discontinued line was absorbed by the Central Line, which was rebranded as Bogor Line with red-circled "B" symbol.
The KRL Commuterline officially marked its centennial in 2025.
Lines and services The modernization project in 2011 introduced 6 integrated lines and 8 services which serve Greater Jakarta. In 2022, the number of lines was reduced to 5 as the Loop Line was discontinued and absorbed into Bogor Line and Cikarang Loop Line.
The network route map is recognized by color code, destination, and since 2020, a station numbering system.
Lines Services No. of stations Length OpenedOperated asKCI Line Bogor LineJakarta Kota to Bogor25†19305 December 2011Jakarta Kota to Nambo26† 20151 April 2015 Cikarang Loop LineCikarang–Pasar Senen/Manggarai–Kampung Bandan (full-racket)29††193028 May 2022Cikarang–Manggarai–Angke (half-racket) 20 202228 May 2022 Rangkasbitung LineTanah Abang to Rangkasbitung1918991 April 2017 Tangerang LineDuri to Tangerang 11 18995 December 2011 Tanjung Priok LineJakarta Kota to Tanjung Priuk 4 18855 December 2011 partial; feeder only22 December 2015 fully operationalPlanned Rangkasbitung LineRangkasbitung to Merak11 Length of extension Total length if finishedTBA Bogor LineBogor to Sukabumi11 Length of extension Total length if finished Cikarang Loop LineCikarang to Cikampek8 Length of extension Total length if finished JIS LineJatinegara to Tanjung Priok9TBA† excluding Gambir station, which doesn't serve Commuterline trains (train passes through without stopping here)†† Including Pasar Senen Station. This station only serves trips to the north (towards Kampung Bandan). Trips to the south (towards Jatinegara) do not stop at this station.
Ticketing and fares
Passengers may also purchase a card for multiple journeys, named Kartu Multi-Trip (KMT, "multitrip card"). KMT is priced at Rp 50,000 (including Rp 30,000 credit). The card has no expiry date and can be used with a minimum credit of Rp 5,000 after KCI introduced fare adjustment machines. Passengers who don't have enough credit in their KMT can top-up at fare adjustment machines or two-way ticket counters. Previously the minimum credit was Rp 13,000, based on the highest available fare in the system. The card may be topped up at the ticket counters or vending machines. Starting in October 2023 this card could also be used in other major transit systems such as Jakarta MRT, Jakarta LRT or Jabodebek LRT and Transjakarta