The Bali Mass Rapid Transit (Indonesian: Moda Raya Terpadu Bali[a]; Bali MRT), or officially known as the Bali Urban Subway,[2] is a rapid transit system that is currently being built in Bali, Indonesia. Along with the proposed Bali LRT, it is part of a government plan to ease traffic within the Denpasar metropolitan area in a project called the Bali Provincial Government Urban Railway.[3]

Bali Urban Subway
Overview
Native nameModa Raya Terpadu (MRT) Bali[a]
Area servedDenpasar metropolitan area[b]
LocaleBali, Indonesia
Transit typeRapid transit
Number of lines2 (under construction)
2 (planned)
Operation
Began operationEst 2031
CharacterUnderground
Technical
System length29.5 km (18.3 mi)[1]
(under construction)
over 60.0 km (37.3 mi) (preparation)
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in)
Top speed100 km/h (underground section)[citation needed]

Construction began in September 2024. Line 1 connecting Ngurah Rai International Airport to Cemagi and Line 2 connecting Ngurah Rai International Airport to Nusa Dua is estimated to open in 2031.[1]

Background

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Bali is the main tourist destination hub and largest city of the Lesser Sunda Islands in Indonesia, harbouring 4.5 million inhabitants, of which nearly half are located in Denpasar metropolitan area. It is estimated that over 1 million residents and tourists commute daily in Denpasar metropolitan area each day. Transport issues are attracting increasing political attention with the government. Over 5.2 million international tourists visited Bali in 2023.[4] Denpasar is the busiest entry port to Indonesia ahead of Jakarta and Batam.[5] In 2019, around 1.3 million of foreign tourists came from Australia, 1.1 million from China, and 0.4 million from India.[6] Meanwhile, 9.5 million domestic tourists visited Bali in 2023.[7]

The idea of constructing an MRT in Bali appeared in 2022 after COVID-19 and recovery in tourism arrivals, because of congested and hazardous roads, and in popular and built-up areas, gridlock frustrates locals and tourists.[8]

Development

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Officials holding a traditional ceremony for the groundbreaking of the Bali Urban Subway

First development

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The process of developing the first line of the Bali MRT began when President Joko Widodo designated the system as a national project. In September 2024, the project was collaborated with CRCC for the MRT project. In total, the investment value for the first two lines reached US$10.8 billion and for the entire four lines is US$20 billion.[1] Work on line 1 is expected to be slower due to rocky and hard underground conditions, compared to line 2 which can be faster because of the limestone or alluvial soil conditions which makes it easier during the drilling process.[1]

At the same time as the inauguration of the first phase of the North-South Line, President Joko Widodo also launched the construction of the first phase of the Ngurah Rai Airport–Cemagi Line and the Ngurah Rai Airport–Nusa Dua Line. This project, known as the Bali Provincial Government Urban Railway, includes four "Bali Urban Railway" MRT lines.[3]

The routes innitially planned, devised, and belonging to the Bali provincial government are:[3]

  1. MRT Ngurah Rai International Airport–Cemagi Line.
  2. MRT Ngurah Rai International Airport–Nusa Dua Line.
  3. MRT Sentral Parkir KutaSanur Line.
  4. MRT RenonSukawatiUbud Line.

Funding

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Phase 1

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The project is entirely financed by the private sector on a business-to-business basis, meaning that the Subway Bali project was to be developed without any funding from state or regional budgets or loans guaranteed by the government, either at the central or regional levels. The investment for the first phase (Lines 1 and 2) amounts to US$10.8 billion.[9][2]

Phase 2

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The investment value for Phase 2 (Lines 3 and 4) reached US$10 billion, bringing the total investment to US$20 billion.[9]

System network

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The Bali MRT is expected to stretch across over 60 kilometres (37 mi), with 16.0 kilometres (9.9 mi) dedicated to the Ngurah Rai Airport–Cemagi line and 13.5 kilometres (8.4 mi) to the Ngurah Rai Airport–Nusa Dua line. Trains will operate on the right-hand side, aligning with the current system used in Indonesian railways despite Indonesia’s left-hand road traffic system.[3]

The following table lists the MRT lines that are currently under construction or planned as of September 2024. Planned lines are preliminary and could still be altered before entering construction phase.[10]

Colour and line name Line Service commencement Terminus Stations Length Depot
Under construction
Ngurah Rai Airport–Cemagi Line 1 2028 Ngurah Rai Airport
Cemagi
TBA 16.0 km (9.9 mi) Ngurah Rai
Ngurah Rai Airport–Nusa Dua Line 2 2031 Ngurah Rai Airport
Nusa Dua
TBA 13.5 km (8.4 mi) Ngurah Rai
Planned
Sentral Parkir Kuta–Sanur Line 3 TBA Sentral Parkir Kuta
Sanur
TBA TBA TBA
Renon–Ubud Line 4 TBA Renon
Ubud
TBA TBA TBA

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ a b lit. "Bali Integrated Mass Mode"
  2. ^ "Serves on All Phase "

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Resmi! Proyek MRT Bali Dimulai Hari Ini". detik.com (in Indonesian). 2024. p. 1. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
  2. ^ a b antaranews.com (5 September 2024). "Bali's long-awaited mass transit project takes off". Antara News. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d "Bali akan Punya MRT dan LRT Senilai Ratusan Triliun, Seperti Apa Jalurnya?". katadata.co.id (in Indonesian). 2024. p. 1. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
  4. ^ "Kunjungan Wisatawan Mancanegara: Fakta di Bulan April 2024" [Statistics of Tourism in Bali Province]. balimanagement.villas. Retrieved 14 July 2024.
  5. ^ "Batam Island – Where Business Meets Pleasure – Indonesia.Travel". indonesia.travel. Archived from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 7 May 2017.
  6. ^ "Bali Statistics". Bali Government Tourism Office. 20 February 2020. Archived from the original on 7 September 2016. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
  7. ^ "Jumlah Wisatawan Mancanegara Ke Bali Tembus 5 Juta Kunjungan pada 2023" [Number of Foreign Tourists in Bali Surpasses 5 Million Visits in 2023]. balimanagement.villas. Retrieved 14 July 2024.
  8. ^ "Why Bali's traffic congestion gets worse every year, and how it is affecting tourism". scmp.com. 2024. p. 1. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
  9. ^ a b "Babak Baru Megaproyek MRT Bali Senilai US$ 20 M yang Diklaim Atasi Kemacetan". .detik.com (in Indonesian). 2024. p. 1. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
  10. ^ "Bali Subway Project Commences the New Phase with Major Investment". indonesiaexpat.id. 2024. p. 1. Retrieved 21 September 2024.