KAI Commuter Lines Bogor & Cikarang from Bogor to Jakarta Sudirman by Train

With the rebranding of KAI Commuter Line and the Manggarai switchovers to form the new KAI Commuter Line Bogor and KAI Commuter Line Cikarang, distinct lines with a general direction are now formed, with no more former Loop Line service where trains cross to other lines for a direct service without the need for transfers at Manggarai. Heading back to Sudirman, I took KAI Commuter Line Bogor to Manggarai where a change to the KAI Commuter Line Cikarang is needed to continue on to Sudirman.

Bogor Railway Station

The façade of Bogor Railway Station.

Heading in to Bogor Railway Station.

Heading through the KAI Commuter Line fare gates at Bogor Railway Station.

Crossing the pedestrian railway crossing over to the KAI Commuter Line platforms.

With so many trains standing by and KAI Commuter Line Bogor operating from 6 platforms at this terminal, I headed in to the new shelter to see where the next train was departing from.

The next train was departing from Track 7 shortly.

This was a 10-car Tokyo Metro 6000 Series train set which was ready to depart. Being ready to depart, this also meant that minimal seats were available since most passengers would have boarded earlier.

As such, I decided to just take the next train which was departing just 5 minutes later, formed by a 12-car JR 205 Series train set.

Heading up the ramp to board my train.

I made the right choice to wait for a later train just 5 minutes later for an empty set with plenty of seats to choose from.

Longitudinal padded seats are provided for high-capacity loading, but also offer comfort, and it did not feel too uncomfortable for long journeys. As this train set is relatively new to Indonesia, the original seat covers from Japan are retained since it’s still in good condition.

Overhead luggage racks are available to store bulky items.

The network map of the KAI Commuter Jabodetabek.

The KAI Commuter Line Bogor stops at all stations en route, except for Gambir.

The KAI Commuter Line Bogor stops at Cilebut, Bojonggede, Citayam, Depok, Depok Baru, Pondok Cina, Universitas Indonesia, Universitas Pancasila, Lenteng Agung, Depok Baru, Tanjung Barat,
Pasar Minggu, Pasar Minggu Baru, Duren Kalibata, Cawang, and Tebet, while on the way from Bogor to Manggarai.

Manggarai Railway Station

Alighting at Manggarai Railway Station to change trains to the KAI Commuter Line Cikarang.

The KAI Commuter Line Bogor uses the new elevated platforms and tracks at Manggarai Railway Station.

The KAI Commuter Line Bogor continues on to Jakarta Kota, where it terminates.

Heading down the staircase to the transfer concourse level.

Trains to Sudirman, Tanah Abang, Duri, Angke, and Kampung Bandan will depart from Platforms 6 and 7, making a u-turn to the right from the staircase.

Heading along the transfer concourse.

Heading down to Platforms 6 and 7.

The design of the lower platforms in the new Manggarai Railway Station is very bad. Passengers must cross the yellow line to walk along the platforms as the building pillars and lift shaft are blocking almost the entire width of the platform. This also causes congestion as passengers who obey safety rules crowd around the end of the staircase only instead of walking along the whole length of the platform for the up-to-12-car train.

Looks like the next train will be departing from Platform 7.

I was quite lucky to get a quick transfer at Manggarai with less than 2 minutes to the next train.

Frequency on the KAI Commuter Line Cikarang can be low due to trains splitting routes around the loop and the temporary single-track operation between Manggarai and Matraman. The next train was 14 minutes away from the front train.

It was another 12-car train for me. While it’s just a 1-station hop to Sudirman, the section between Manggarai and Sudirman can be very congested due to the low train frequency and high catchment areas of the transfer station of Manggarai and the business and entertainment district of Sudirman. There are also 2 more major transfer stations to other KAI Commuter Lines at Tanah Abang and Duri along the loop.

Boarding the KAI Commuter Line Cikarang train to Sudirman.

As it was just 1 station, I did not take a seat for this short journey.

Just 1 stop to Sudirman.

Alighting at Sudirman Railway Station with many other passengers.

Heading to the Kendal exit just beside the platform.

Heading out via the fare gates.

The KAI Commuter Line fare from Bogor to Sudirman costs Rp 6.000.

Heading past a Tokyo Metro 6000 Series mural at Sudirman Railway Station.

The façade of Sudirman Railway Station from the Kendal entrance.

The Sudirman Railway Station Kendal entrance is just outside the pedestrianised Kendal Tunnel connecting to Dukuh Atas BNI MRT Station for the MRT Jakarta and Sudirman Baru BNI City Railway Station for the KAI Commuter Line Basoetta airport rail link to Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.

Conclusion

The KAI Commuter Line Bogor is a convenient and fast way to travel from Bogor to Jakarta with a geographically straight north-south route and no traffic jams. Trains are frequent enough to not need to refer to a timetable for travel, though the transfer time at Manggarai for trains to Sudirman may be erratic and add to travel times. Fares are also cheap at only Rp 6.000 (~S$0.53/~RM1.79) for a distance of 54.8 kilometers.