The newly launched light rail train LRT service in Jakarta, the first autonomous train designed by Indonesian engineers, begin its operation this month.

Although the LRT can run on its own, the train will have train attendants to take over control in emergency situations.

State railway company PT KAI’s public relations manager for the LRT, Jabodebek, Division Kuswardojo said that the train attendants for LRT have train engineer certification.

The LRT service has a total of 31 trainsets, with one trainset consisting of six cars that can hold between 740 and 1,480 people. Each car has 174 seats for around 700 people and provides standing spaces for up to 56 people.

The trains have undergone a series of tests, such as the communication test of On-Board Control Unit (OBCU), the train signaling test with Train Control Management System (TCMS), and the Grade of Automation (GOA) 3 test, which allows the LRT to run autonomously.

After the trial launch on July 12, people can take part in the soft launching of LRT Jabodebek until August 17, by paying only 1 Indonesian rupiah per trip. During the trial, a trip between Dukuh Atas station and Jatimulya station in Bekasi will take around 45-50 minutes, with a 30-second stop at each station. The LRT will be commercially launched on August 18.