JAKARTA: The Jakarta administration is set to open a train station at the Jakarta International Stadium (JIS) in North Jakarta, a move expected to improve accessibility to the stadium that has been and is planning hosting large-scale, international events.
The construction of the station is nearly done, with authorities planning to start operations in June, coinciding with the city’s 499th anniversary on June 22, said Cyril Raoul “Chico” Hakim, a special staffer for Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung.
The station will be located adjacent to the stadium, around five minutes from JIS’ main entrance. Chico called the station “a gift for Jakartans”, as it is aimed to support large-scale events such as concerts and soccer matches, while improving public mobility in the area
“With the Greater Jakarta Commuter Line access stopping directly at JIS, people will have more options for public transportations, and traffic congestion may decrease,” Chico said on Thursday.
“We are optimistic this station will become a game changer for accessibility to JIS and its surrounding areas, both for special events and daily activities,” he continued.
Plans for the station were first initiated in 2021, a year before the stadium was inaugurated. Aside from the station, the city administration is also constructing a 446-meter pedestrian bridge connecting JIS to Ancol Dreamland Park, which has several parking lots that can be used by visitors of the stadium.
Inaugurated by then-governor Anies Baswedan, JIS has a seating capacity of 82,000, making it one of the largest stadiums in South-East Asia and bigger than the Gelora Bung Karno (GBK) Main Stadium in South Jakarta which has around 77,000 seats.
Built by city-owned developer Jakarta Propertindo (Jakpro), the multipurpose stadium’s construction cost Rp 4.5 trillion (US$254 million), which came from the city budget.
As of May, it has hosted several concerts by international artists, including Bruno Mars, Maroon 5 and Ed Sheeran, as well as K-pop artists such as TWICE, NCT Dream and Seventeen.
JIS was among the stadiums that hosted matches for the FIFA U-17 World Cup competition in 2023 and is also becoming the home of Jakarta’s soccer team Persija.
But concertgoers have raised concerns over the accessibility to the stadium, which is located on the northern outskirts of the city, far from Jakarta’s center. Concerts are often marred by complaints from people complaining about traffic congestion around the stadium, as the city is lacking public transit routes heading to the location.
Ilham Sigit, a 27-year-old Persija supporter from Bekasi, West Java who watched the team’s game at JIS several times, welcomed the city’s plan to open the railway station, hoping it would ease the severe traffic jams that often occur around the stadium.
“I just hope the pedestrian access from the station to the stadium entrance will be convenient, so people will be encouraged to use public transportation,” he said on Thursday.
The station could provide options for JIS visitors who have long struggled to reach the stadium during major events, said transportation analyst Sutanto Soehodho from the University of Indonesia (UI).
“Getting to the stadium using private vehicles is tiresome, especially during events. Limited parking spots is only one of the problems,” Sutanto said.
“If we solve the issue of connectivity, there won’t be congestion anymore.”
To optimise accessibility, he urged authorities to integrate the station with broader transportation networks, including light rail transit (LRT) services and city-owned bus Transjakarta to support connectivity with Jakarta’s satellite cities
Urban planning expert Nirwono Joga concurred, saying the JIS commuter station could become a “breakthrough” if supported by stronger integration with other public transportation systems.
“With proper integration, JIS could become a strong attraction for numerous major events,” he said.
Echoing the experts, the commuter railway service may not be enough for several concertgoers, such as Nara Adreena, 28, from Bogor, West Java. To get to the stadium by commuter train, she said she would have to travel a long time with several transits.
“I’d rather join a carpool with fellow fans,” said Nara, who watched K-pop group Seventeen at JIS in February 2025.
“It’s more practical because I can be picked up and dropped off near my house.” – The Jakarta Post/ANN