How to Get From Jakarta Airport to the City by Train
If you need to travel from Jakarta Airport to the city centre, the airport train offers a convenient and comfortable option.
This guide explains how to take the Jakarta airport train and what the experience is like for arriving passengers.
Jakarta Airport
Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta Airport is the main international gateway to Indonesia, serving around 50 million passengers annually.
The airport is located about 20 km northwest of Central Jakarta in the towns of Benda, Tangerang, and Cengkareng – the latter of which gave the airport its IATA code, CGK.
Jakarta Airport has three terminals (T1, T2, and T3), with Terminal 3 being the most modern and the one where most international tourists are likely to arrive.
Jakarta Airport Train. ©AndyBTravels
Taking the Skytrain
None of the terminals at Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta Airport have direct access to the airport train station, so you’ll need to take the Skytrain people mover first to reach it.
The Skytrain, which is free of charge, is located landside and connects all three terminals at Jakarta Airport.
Once you’ve picked up your luggage and passed through immigration, you will enter the airport’s arrival hall, from where the Skytrain station is just a short and clearly signposted walk.
On the Jakarta Airport Train
You will need to take the Skytrain to the Soekarno–Hatta International Airport (SHIA) rail-link station, from where trains to downtown Jakarta depart.
Once you alight from the Skytrain, you will find it’s a short and well-signposted walk to the airport train station.
In the main hall of the station, there is an information desk staffed by English-speaking personnel, as well as multiple ticket machines offering an English-language option.
You can buy your Jakarta Airport Train ticket from these machines, which accept international MasterCard and Visa debit and credit cards, as well as contactless payments via Google and Apple Pay.
Tickets for the Jakarta Airport Train cost 75,000 Indonesian rupiah, which equals £3.38, €3.95, or $4.59.
When boarding is announced, simply scan your ticket to open the electronic barriers, then proceed to the platform and board your train to downtown Jakarta.
Buying a ticket for the airport train is an easy process. ©AndyBTravels
City centre stations
The trains of the Jakarta Airport link are modern and clean, have comfortable seats, and large luggage racks.
The Jakarta Airport Train departs 7 days a week every 30 minutes between 06:12 and 22:42.
Also known as the Soekarno-Hatta Airport Commuter Line, the trains run to Manggarai railway station in south Jakarta, where you can connect to mainline and MRT commuter trains, as well as LRT (light rapid transit) trains and BRT buses.
The airport train takes 56 minutes to cover the entire 37-kilometre (23-mile) route between the airport and Manggarai Station.
Depending on where you need to be in Jakarta, you can also get off one stop before Manggarai at BNI City, where there’s a connection to the Dukuh Atas MRT, LRT, and BRT station.
On board the Jakarta Airport Train. ©AndyBTravels
Video
Watch the video below to get a full impression of what it’s like to take the Jakarta Airport Train.
The video also shows what it’s like to take the Skytrain from the airport terminal to the railway station, the ticketing process, and offers a glimpse inside the trains themselves.
Conclusion
The Jakarta Airport Train is an excellent choice if you need to get from the airport to downtown Jakarta, offering an affordable and convenient service with excellent connections to other public transport modes in the Indonesian capital.
Want to read about more airport trains? Read my articles about the Vienna Airport Train, Helsinki Airport Train and the Oslo Airport Train!
If you’re interested in train travel in Indonesia, check out my article about Indonesia’s brand-new Whoosh high-speed train!
