Getting Around East Jakarta: LRT, KRL, TransJakarta & Grab

East Jakarta is the city's largest district, and its sights are spread out: Taman Mini in the south, Jatinegara's market in the west, Rawamangun and Pulomas in the north, Cakung out east. The good news is that public transport here has improved enormously. Two light-rail systems, the KRL commuter trains and the TransJakarta busway now cover most of the places a visitor wants to go, all paid with a single tap card, and Grab and Gojek fill in the rest.

Here is how each network works, what it costs and when to use it, checked in October 2026.

The elevated LRT Jabodebek runs in a "Y" shape. Both branches start at Dukuh Atas in central Jakarta and run together through Kuningan and Pancoran to Cawang, where they split. The Cibubur line continues south through TMII, Kampung Rambutan and Ciracas to Harjamukti. The Bekasi line heads east via Halim (linked by footbridge to the Whoosh high-speed rail station) to Jati Mulya in Bekasi.

Fares are calculated by distance: Rp5,000 for the first kilometre and roughly Rp700 per kilometre after that. On weekdays between 06:00–08:59 and 16:00–19:59 the maximum is Rp20,000; at all other times, and all day at weekends and on holidays, it is Rp10,000. A few useful examples: Halim to Cawang about Rp7,100; Cawang to TMII about Rp8,500; Dukuh Atas to TMII about Rp10,000 off-peak. Payment is cashless: tap an e-money card, use QRIS, or buy a single-journey ticket at the machines.

The Cikoko station, one stop west of Cawang, connects by skywalk to KRL Cawang station on the Bogor line.

The smaller, city-run LRT Jakarta line used to run only between Pegangsaan Dua (Kelapa Gading) and Velodrome, beside the Jakarta International Velodrome in Rawamangun. Its Phase 1B extension to Manggarai was inaugurated on 16 September 2026, adding stations at Rawamangun, Pramuka, Matraman, Proklamasi and Manggarai.

As of early October 2026, Jakarta's transport agency said only Rawamangun and Manggarai were open on the new section; Pramuka, Matraman and Proklamasi were finished but waiting for their entrances to be completed. Trains to Manggarai were running about every 15 minutes from 05:30, with evening services ending at Velodrome. The fare is a flat Rp5,000. Check the LRT Jakarta app before relying on the new stops.

The KRL Commuter Line's Cikarang loop crosses East Jakarta from west to east, stopping at Pondok Jati, Jatinegara, Matraman, Klender, Buaran, Klender Baru and Cakung before entering Bekasi. Jatinegara station sits right next to Pasar Jatinegara, which makes it ideal for our Jatinegara food trail. Change at Manggarai or Jatinegara for other lines.

Fares start at Rp3,000 for the first 25 km, adding about Rp1,000 for each further 10 km; the government confirmed in mid-2026 that KRL fares are not rising. Trains are packed in rush hour, and there are women-only carriages at each end.

TransJakarta's dedicated-lane busways (BRT) link East Jakarta's main hubs: Kampung Melayu, Cawang, Pulo Gadung, PGC Cililitan, Kampung Rambutan and Pinang Ranti among them. Corridor 7 runs from Kampung Rambutan to Kampung Melayu, Corridor 9 from Pinang Ranti across to Pluit, Corridor 11 from Pulo Gebang through Klender to Kampung Melayu, and Corridor 4 from Pulo Gadung towards Dukuh Atas. Feeder routes and the small Mikrotrans (JakLingko) minibuses cover the side streets.

The flat fare is Rp3,500, or Rp2,000 between 05:00 and 07:00, and most Mikrotrans routes are currently free. The city has confirmed that fares will be adjusted from 1 January 2027, after more than 20 years at Rp3,500; the new tariff had not been announced at the time of writing.

No MRT line reaches East Jakarta yet. The planned East–West line (phase 1, stage 1: Tomang to Medan Satria) would cross the north of the district with stations at Pulogadung, Penggilingan, Cakung Barat, Pulo Gebang and Ujung Menteng. Tenders were under way in 2026; officials have talked about opening around 2030–2031, so for now use the LRT or KRL and change at Dukuh Atas for the existing north–south MRT.

For short hops, late nights, airport runs and anywhere off the rail lines, ride-hailing is the default. Both Grab and Gojek offer cars (GrabCar, GoCar) and motorbike taxis (GrabBike, GoRide); bikes are much quicker in traffic and cheap, and drivers carry a spare helmet. Prices are shown before you book and rise in rain and at rush hour. Blue Bird taxis are a reliable metered alternative. You will need mobile data for all of them.

If you would rather have your own wheels for day trips to Cibubur or Bogor, hiring a car with a driver is common and usually less stressful than self-drive.