List Of ASEAN Countries That Have LRT, Where Does It Operate For The First Time?

Illustration of LRT (ANTARA)

YOGYAKARTA - President Jokowi inaugurated the Jabodebek Light Rapid Transit (LRT) (Jakarta-Bogor-Depok-Bekasi) on Monday (28/8). The presence of this LRT mode of transportation makes it easier for people in the capital and surrounding areas to travel. Apart from Indonesia, there are also several ASEAN countries that have LRT.

LRT is a light train that is run as a mode of transportation on light rails. This transportation has been used in many countries as a form of modernization. LRT is powered by electric charging from above through the Overhead Line or from below via Third Rail.

The operation of the LRT aims to increase the ease of access for people who want to travel from one place to another, as well as to unravel congestion. So which ASEAN countries have LRT other than Jakarta?

The following are a number of countries in Southeast Asia that have run LRT transportation:

The LRT mode of transportation, which was first in Southeast Asia, is operated in Manila, Philippines. The construction of the LRT in Manila was carried out in 1984 based on the idea of President Ferdinand Marcos.

The LRT in the Philippines has a path with a length of 16.9 kilometers equipped with 13 stations. Like Jakarta, the light train transportation system in Manila has also taken electrical resources from the railroad tracks. Since its first operation in 1984, the LRT in the Philippines has continued to grow and expand in recent years.

The first LRT station in Singapore was operated in 1987, namely at Yio Chu Kang station and Toa Payoh Station. The presence of LRT in this lion country has made the second-largest high-speed rail transportation system in Southeast Asia after the Manila LRT.

To date, the Singapore LRT has a path that runs 199.6 km long. With such a long path, Singapore is the country with the longest LRT path in the Southeast Asia region.

LRT in Singapore is run with 8 lanes and 119 stations spread across the region. Singapore's LRT station service is recognized as one of the best in Asia.

Another ASEAN country that also operates the LRT is Thailand. The LRT system in this white elephant country is known as Rotfaifa Mahanakon, which means a metropolitan electric train. The initial part of the Blue Line between Hua Lamphong and Bang Sue was run in 2004 for the second public transportation in Bangkok.

Currently, there are two LRT lines operating in Bangkok City with a total length of 45 kilometers. Even though they already have 35 LRT stations, Bangkok continues to improve its transportation system. This is done because Bangkok has been on the list of cities with the worst congestion in the world.

The LRT mode of transportation has also been implemented in Malaysia. The LRT in this neighboring country was only introduced in 2016 with a more modern train design. In Kuala Lumpur, there is one MRT route with a length of 51 kilometers that crosses as many as 31 stations.

Those are some ASEAN countries that have LRT and MRT other than Jakarta, Indonesia. The Jabodebek LRT can already be accessed by the public starting Monday (28/8) with 18 stations spread across a number of areas.

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