JAKARTA, The Kabar News—President Prabowo Subianto has instructed state railway operator PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) to prepare the modernization of Gambir Station and begin planning a railway service in Bali, placing the two projects within a broader effort to improve public infrastructure and tourism.

Prabowo issued the directives during a meeting with KAI President Director Bobby Rasyidin at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on Thursday, Nov. 5, Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya said.

The plan calls for Gambir Station to become a national railway hub with improved connections and public spaces. The government also wants the station area to offer family recreation and tourism facilities near the National Monument (Monas).

“Gambir Station is expected to become a national station hub as well as an entertainment and family recreation area,” Teddy said in an official State Secretariat statement.

The president also directed officials to revitalize the wider Monas precinct and develop a Grand National Museum. The proposed museum would complement the National Gallery and the National Museum (Museum Gajah). It would do so by providing a larger venue for history and educational programs.

However, the government has not disclosed the projects’ estimated costs, funding arrangements or construction schedules. Planners will therefore determine how to integrate the station, museum and public spaces without disrupting railway services or access to the Monas area.

Prabowo separately ordered work to begin on a railway service in Bali. The initial route is planned to connect I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport with Kuta, Legian, Seminyak and Canggu. It will later extend toward northern parts of the island.

The Palace described the network as a national-pride project intended to improve public transportation and tourism access. It did not announce a final route, construction date or financing model.

Before construction can proceed, the project will require detailed engineering studies and coordination with the Bali provincial administration. Land availability and environmental impacts will also influence the route and cost.

Following the palace meeting, Bobby said KAI had abandoned its proposal to import used electric multiple-unit trains from Japan for the Jabodetabek Commuter Line.

“We will not import used trains. The public deserves new ones,” Bobby said.

KAI requires 23 new trainsets, including eight that Bobby described as urgent. The company aims to complete the procurement within two to three years.

KAI expects domestic manufacturer PT Industri Kereta Api (INKA) to supply part of the order. The company may also engage foreign manufacturers, but Bobby said they must collaborate with Indonesian industry.

The procurement comes as commuter demand continues to grow. KAI data show that the Jabodetabek network carried 277.2 million passengers from January through August 2026. It served 401 million passengers throughout 2025, up from 257 million in 2015.

KPK inquiry remains separate

Separately, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) confirmed on Friday that investigators had seized Rp2 billion from Bobby in an investigation into alleged corruption in Pertamina’s gas-station digitalization project between 2018 and 2023.

Bobby remains a witness, and the KPK has not named him a suspect. KPK has not publicly explained when investigators seized the money or how it was allegedly connected to the project. Investigators questioned Bobby in August 2025, when he was serving as the president director of the state-owned electronics company PT Len Industri.

The investigation is legally separate from KAI’s infrastructure plans. Progress on the Gambir and Bali projects will depend on transparent financing, credible feasibility studies and procurement that protects service reliability. It must also strengthen domestic railway capacity.