I love train.
I used to think that our trains are cool hehhehe. Even I could enjoy economy class Kereta Rel Listrik (KRL) during busy working hours in Jakarta and I thought KRL is the best public transportation for the town: traffic free (although there are traffics in central stations), fast (compared to those busses, cars, motorcycles) cheap (subsidised), reaches far areas, bears so many people inside (but still not enough for all the commuting people).
So, when I first heard local DKI government planned to build Mass Rapid Transit (MRT), I wondered:
WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EXISTED KRL WITH THIS MRT-TO-BE???
KRL is fast, cheap, commuting so much people. KRL is rapidly transiting mass. Same concept HAHAHA.
Okay technically, they say MRT's different in:
1. Technology: magnetic, monorail --> don't expect too much lah, we bought unused old train from Japan with chinese characters still attached on the screen
2. Location: underground --> doesn't functionally differ KRL with MRT
But luckily, I had an opportunity to do my first trip abroad, and I went to Singapore on 17-19 April 2014 during Easter Holiday (read my story here!) and I found out WHYYYYYYYYYYYYY KRL and MRT are so different!
One thing: QUALITY
And this can totally change the way people see on a thing.
So here are my personal opinion about how MRT's qualities differ from KRL.
1. Safety comes first!
I underlined one thing from MRT's safety: 'mind the gap' warning. We know that we always have to mind the gap between train/bus with the platform, and in Jakarta, KRL's gap with the platform is EXTREME. For some stations, we have to jump from the train to reach the platform, and the gap can be so big that a human body can easily fall to the railway.
Now let's see how the gap in MRT's station:
That's soooooooo close that I can even comfortably roll a baby stroller through it!
Nail it! PIP POP PIP POP
Most MRT stations are indoor station located underground. Doors are always closed except when the train comes, therefore people have no direct access to the railway.
During my trip, I only found one outdoor station: Tanah Merah. And guess what? There are safety doors on the edge of platforms that works exactly like doors in indoor stations.
2. Precision: Time and Position
On time! This one is quality that we are Indonesian hardly achieve. We can see estimated time arrival of MRT in each platform in minutes unit: 2 minutes, 4 minutes, and they are freakingly accurate! I see one like this in our Transjakarta (TJ) station BUT they put estimated time: 30 minutes, 45 minutes, ... (you can wait like crazy)
So anytime you come into a MRT platform, take a break, and voila! Your train comes. No significant waiting time.
And as my first point explained, indoor platform has many doors to access the train and the trains actually stop there! You can imagine if the doors don't meet doors: limited access area and we may need to jump! There is no indoor KRL station, but take an example with TJ: indoor station BUT the bus often stop inaccurately, doomed!
3. Complete guidebook
Don't get lost! And in this MRT network, you can hardly get lost. They have complete guidance for passengers along the hallway and inside the train: dos and don'ts, exit way, time estimation screed, etc etc. Good job.
4. Platform
One platform, one destination. Cool! So when we want to go someplace, just go to the platform, wait, and the train passes is yours. Currently in Jakarta, platform is used for many destinations that every time a train stops, we need to ask: where this train's going?
The funny thing in our KRL is, even the destination written on the train's face screen hardly helps us. The screen shows LOCAL JAPANESE DESTINATION like Hakodate, Shinjuku, etc etc as our trains came from the country.
5. Access
Most MRT stations are located under a junction and it can be reached from everywhere around the junction. It has entrance/exit ways to all four side of the road or even more. So when you need to go to Farrer Park MRT station, don't be confused to see many entering doors as all of them finished in an underground station.
Inversely, if you wanna go out from a station, just pick the right exit doors closest to your destination.
To be noted, everything in the station comes so FAST. The train is so fast, coming 2 minutes each, and even the escalators move sooooo fast compared to those in mall and everywhere in Indonesia. The elderly people and children need to be extra careful or they may consider to take stairs.
Overall, those simple qualities win MRT from KRL.
Establishing MRT in Jakarta doesn't simply building the railway, station and train, but maintaining the service quality. Without it, we are just making a new high-tech KRL without proper basic services.
Not only in MRT-thing, Singapore is a very good example of providing things with quality. A simple example: while every country has its own national airline, Singapore comes up with SQ: the most expensive but still the number one favorite. Keep in mind, people will always pay for a quality service.
One thing: QUALITY
And this can totally change the way people see on a thing.
So here are my personal opinion about how MRT's qualities differ from KRL.
1. Safety comes first!
I underlined one thing from MRT's safety: 'mind the gap' warning. We know that we always have to mind the gap between train/bus with the platform, and in Jakarta, KRL's gap with the platform is EXTREME. For some stations, we have to jump from the train to reach the platform, and the gap can be so big that a human body can easily fall to the railway.
Now let's see how the gap in MRT's station:
 |
| Mind the gap! |
Nail it! PIP POP PIP POP
Most MRT stations are indoor station located underground. Doors are always closed except when the train comes, therefore people have no direct access to the railway.
 |
| Doors are always closed. Don't think to suicide here. |
 |
| Safety door in outdoor station |
2. Precision: Time and Position
On time! This one is quality that we are Indonesian hardly achieve. We can see estimated time arrival of MRT in each platform in minutes unit: 2 minutes, 4 minutes, and they are freakingly accurate! I see one like this in our Transjakarta (TJ) station BUT they put estimated time: 30 minutes, 45 minutes, ... (you can wait like crazy)
So anytime you come into a MRT platform, take a break, and voila! Your train comes. No significant waiting time.
And as my first point explained, indoor platform has many doors to access the train and the trains actually stop there! You can imagine if the doors don't meet doors: limited access area and we may need to jump! There is no indoor KRL station, but take an example with TJ: indoor station BUT the bus often stop inaccurately, doomed!
 |
| Door meets door, always. |
3. Complete guidebook
Don't get lost! And in this MRT network, you can hardly get lost. They have complete guidance for passengers along the hallway and inside the train: dos and don'ts, exit way, time estimation screed, etc etc. Good job.
 |
| Complete guidance and sign. |
4. Platform
One platform, one destination. Cool! So when we want to go someplace, just go to the platform, wait, and the train passes is yours. Currently in Jakarta, platform is used for many destinations that every time a train stops, we need to ask: where this train's going?
 |
| One platform, one destination. |
5. Access
Most MRT stations are located under a junction and it can be reached from everywhere around the junction. It has entrance/exit ways to all four side of the road or even more. So when you need to go to Farrer Park MRT station, don't be confused to see many entering doors as all of them finished in an underground station.
 |
| Farrer Park Station entrance from Serangoon Road |
To be noted, everything in the station comes so FAST. The train is so fast, coming 2 minutes each, and even the escalators move sooooo fast compared to those in mall and everywhere in Indonesia. The elderly people and children need to be extra careful or they may consider to take stairs.
 |
| High speed escalators. No galau and bengong permitted. |
 |
| The platform entrance accommodates many passengers |
Overall, those simple qualities win MRT from KRL.
Establishing MRT in Jakarta doesn't simply building the railway, station and train, but maintaining the service quality. Without it, we are just making a new high-tech KRL without proper basic services.
Not only in MRT-thing, Singapore is a very good example of providing things with quality. A simple example: while every country has its own national airline, Singapore comes up with SQ: the most expensive but still the number one favorite. Keep in mind, people will always pay for a quality service.
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