By 2012, the provincial government already had plans for a transit system in the city, signing a MoU with investors to construct a monorail system connecting the city's airport and Jakabaring Sport City. However, the monorail project was replaced by a light rail transit in 2015 since Governor of South Sumatra Alex Noerdin thought that LRT is more effective in reducing traffic congestion. As Palembang was to host the 2018 Asian Games, the project was pushed to be completed before the event began. Groundbreaking for the project occurred in November 2015, with state-owned companyWaskita 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. The contract, which was signed in February 2017, was initially valued at Rp 12.5 trillion. Construction was scheduled for completion in February 2018, with commercial service beginning in May 2018. However, the completion date was moved to June 2018 with operations beginning in July, only one month before the Asian Games. A test run was done on 22 May 2018 and was inaugurated by President Joko Widodo on 15 July 2018. 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. The final value of the contract was Rp 10.9 trillion. The reduction in cost was due to a review by supervising consultants from SMEC International. Close to the start of the event, the trains often encountered operational issues. Waskita initially paid for the construction, with the government reimbursing the fees over a four-year period. 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. As a comparison, the Sheppard East LRT in Toronto cost US$56.7 million/km. The Palembang LRT project leader compared the higher cost to other projects nearby: the Kelana Jaya line and the Manila Light Rail Transit Line 1 extension.
Specifications
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. 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. The travel time between the airport and the sports complex is between 30 and 45 minutes. The electrical trains operate on 750 V DC voltage. Individual carriages, made from stainless steel, have a roof height of 3,700 mm and a floor height of 1,025 mm. The gap between bogies is 11,500 mm, with the total length of the current trains at. The trains are assembled by PT INKA, with around half of the components manufactured locally.
Stations
The line has 13 stations operational as of August 2018 from DJKA to Airport. 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. 5 of the 13 stations are connected with skybridges to surrounding buildings. Plans are in place to integrate the LRT with the existing Trans Musi bus service.
Track
The train uses a 1,067 mm ballastless, elevated track. The signalling for the track uses fixed-block signalling. Stretching between the airport in the northwest and its depot in the southeast, the track is supported by 9 electrical substations and a third rail. After passing Ampera station, the train crosses the Musi River next to the Ampera Bridge.
Ridership and fares
The government targets a daily ridership of 96,000 with an increased figure of 110,000 by 2030. Between July 2018 and February 2019, around 1 million passengers travelled on the LRT. The fare separates passengers riding to and from the airport and those who do not, with the former paying a higher fare of Rp 10,000 while the latter paying Rp 5,000. Initial fares are subsidized by the government, which expects to spend between Rp 200 and 300 billion annually until the ridership can cover operational costs. The LRT runs from 06:00 am to 08:25 pm, with 74 trips per day and a headway of 18 minutes.
