Jakarta Monorail

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The Jakarta Monorail is a monorail system currently under construction in Jakarta, Indonesia. Two lines are being built: the Green line is a loop line serving Semanggi-Casablanca-Kuningan-Sudirman-Karet-Semanggi and the Blue line serving Kampung Melayu-Casablanca-Karet-Tanah Abang-Roxy-Mall Taman Anggrek.

[edit] History

The project has suffered from many financial problems and frequent technology changes. Initially awarded in 2003 to Malaysian company MTrans, builders of the KL Monorail, construction started in June 2004 but was halted after only a few weeks after the funds for the project stopped. MTrans' MoU was then cancelled after Mtrans didn't respond adequately, with the project awarded to the Singaporean-led Omnico consortium, which proposed to use the Hitachi Monorail system (the base used for the KL Monorail) and then later on switched to the maglev technology by South Korean company ROTEM.

In July 2005, the project changed hands again with a new MoU granted to a consortium of Indonesian companies PT Bukaka Teknik Utama, PT INKA and Siemens Indonesia. (Vice president Jusuf Kalla, who assumed office in October 2004, owns a large stake in Bukaka.) Omnico has contested this, and the original deadline of 2007 looks more unlikely to be met. However, as of July 2006 construction is still continuing, under the assumption that the basic foundation piles and pillars can be used by whichever consortium and technology wins in the end.

When completed, the monorail will include two lines. One 14.3 km loop line known as the Green line will serve the business districts of the city. The second line known as the Blue line will be 13.5 km and will run from Kampung Melayu to Mall Taman Anggrek . The whole system would have the total of 27.8 km. It will have two interchange stations at Casablanca and Karet to allow passengers to switch between these two lines, the Sudirman Dukuh Atas station will also allow passengers to switch to the Jakarta Busway and the Jakarta's railway network.

As of September 2006 several Monorail pylons stand finished or semi finished along major Jakarta roads. No firm contract for the completion has yet appeared but the population still holds hope for some relief to the already congested roads system.