Construction of proposed LRT system in Indonesia’s Batam slated to begin in mid-2024

BATAM: The construction of a proposed Light Rail Transit (LRT) system in Batam, Indonesia is expected to begin in the middle of 2024, with the project targeted to finish in 2025.

Speaking to CNA, Chief of Batam Development Authority Muhammad Rudi said on Wednesday (May 17): “The land in Batam is managed by (the Batam Development Authority) so we can dedicate land for this project quite quickly. In other places, it can take years to free up land needed for any project.” 

He also said: "The construction itself will start in mid-2024. We expect the project to be completed in 2025. That is our target.”

In a statement last month, Mr Rudi, who is also the mayor of Batam, announced his plan to build an LRT mass transportation system in order to reduce congestion and “make Batam a modern city”. 

Mr Rudi told CNA on Wednesday that the LRT system is needed to accommodate Batam’s growing population, especially since more workers and visitors are expected in the post-pandemic period.

“For now, the only public transportation we have are buses. This is currently enough for the 1.2 million inhabitants of Batam. But we have to think about the future,” he said. 

He noted that Batam’s population is currently 1.24 million, up from 1.22 million last year. He added that the growth of private vehicles is faster than the city’s population growth. 

According to him, five capsule-shaped LRT cars will be combined for a single trip. One LRT car can fit 20 people, with 10 people seated and 10 people standing. The cars are expected to be suspended at a height of around 9m.

“I think it is a unique design … It is like no other LRT. Because it is unique, this can become an icon of Batam,” he said. 

Mr Rudi also said that there are four companies from Singapore, Malaysia, Germany and Indonesia that are working on potential design proposals. ”Although they are the ones proposing this, we will still hold a bidding process … (expected to start) in November,” he said.

He told CNA that the first phase of the project will be 11km long with 16 stations planned. 

“We want to start with a line connecting the airport and Batam City Centre … In July, we will start the construction of Terminal 2 (of the Hang Nadim International Airport). We plan to build our station in between the existing terminal and the new terminal,” he said. 

He also said that the project for Phase 1 is valued at US$110 million. 

Mr Rudi also said that Phase 2 will encircle the city centre while Phase 3 will connect the city centre to Batu Ampar, Batam’s industrial area. However, no timeline has been set yet. 

Read this story in Bahasa Indonesia here.