From trackside shacks to new homes, Jakarta families weigh what comes next
Indonesia wants to relocate families living beside railway tracks to newly built housing, starting with Jakarta before expanding the programme nationwide.
A commuter train passes homes built beside railway tracks in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Jul 13, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Ridhwan Siregar)
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JAKARTA: For years, families living in shack houses beside active railway tracks in Central Jakarta’s Tanah Abang district timed their lives around passing trains.
Conversations in their homes – most of which are built less than 5m from railway lines – are interrupted by the rumble of carriages, which during rush hour can be as frequent as every five to 10 minutes.
Children playing near crossings or on tracks against the backdrop of Jakarta’s skyscrapers know to step aside every time they hear a distant rumbling noise – a signal that a train is about to pass.
Residents whom CNA spoke to said they have become accustomed to the noise and danger of living next to active railway tracks.
Drink seller Tuti Lestari, who has lived beside the tracks since birth, said she does not mind her current living situation.
But the 47-year-old acknowledged that accidents do happen, especially among those unfamiliar with the area and train schedules.
“There are … accidents. If someone doesn’t know the routes and just walks (across the tracks),” said Tuti.
She added that there is about one accident per year, resulting in a person being killed while crossing the railway tracks.
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The issue of people living next to active railway tracks gained national attention after President Prabowo Subianto visited railside settlements in Pasar Senen, Central Jakarta in March.
During his visit, Prabowo listened to the residents’ aspirations and pledged to quickly provide proper housing for them.
“This afternoon, I walked around the residential area along the railway tracks in the Senen area, Central Jakarta. It’s located about 3km from downtown Jakarta,” Prabowo said on his social media account then.
“Having heard the aspirations of the local community, God willing, we will quickly build decent housing for the people in that area.”
The following day, an official from the state-owned Indonesian Railway Company (KAI) said that Prabowo had instructed it to compile an inventory of residential areas that sit along the railway tracks.
“Starting in the Pasar Senen area and expanding to all KAI-managed lines with similar conditions as a basis for targeted development,” said Bobby Rasyidin, who is president director of the firm.
The government has estimated that thousands of Indonesians live along these railway tracks, though no official figure is available. Trains are among the main modes of transportation on Indonesia’s most populous island of Java, as well as in parts of Sumatra and Sulawesi.
By the end of June, dozens of households from Pasar Senen had started moving to a new government-built settlement nearby, and the railside area they had previously occupied had been cleaned up, said Franoto Wibowo, Jakarta’s operational manager for KAI.
NEW HOUSING AND RELOCATION PROGRAMME
The relocation programme, so far available only in the Senen area of Central Jakarta, is intended to improve residents’ safety and quality of life, said Jakarta’s governor spokesperson Chico Hakim.
There are plans to include those from other railside settlements in the future, he noted, adding that the programme is a joint priority between the central and regional governments.
“New housing is not only a place to live, but also part of urban planning that is more humane, inclusive and sustainable,” he said.
The first relocation phase in Senen provides 324 landed units at Hunian Senen, located on a 1.61ha land on Kramat Raya street in Central Jakarta. It is situated about 2.5km from the residents’ original railside settlements.
Each replacement unit is equipped with two single beds, a wardrobe and a fan. The units measure 16 sq m each and meet the criteria for a habitable home.
Environmental property expert Syarifah Syaukat from property consultant Knight Frank said that under Indonesian law, a habitable home or dwelling is defined as a residence that meets the minimum building area requirements, building safety requirements, and the health and safety of its occupants.
This includes criteria such as building durability and safety with qualified materials, a minimum dwelling area of 7.2 sq m per person, access to drinking water and proper sanitation as well as adequate lighting and ventilation.
Residents at the relocated flats are exempted from rent, electricity and water bills for the first six months of occupancy to help them adapt, said Chico. These terms and conditions will be evaluated thereafter, he added.
The main programme is funded by the central government through the housing and settlement areas ministry and state-owned enterprises, while the Jakarta administration supports related infrastructure development.
As of mid-July, Pasar Senen has been cleared of railside settlements, and all 69 families from the area have moved to Hunian Senen, Chico told CNA.
There are still over 250 units available at the new settlement and are meant for other relocation programmes in the near future, he added.
Chico said that those who have moved from Pasar Senen accepted the government’s offer for new housing voluntarily, adding that the relocation programme will continue into 2027 for residents living next to other railway tracks.
CURRENT SITUATION
When CNA visited Hunian Senen in mid-July, residents said they were happy with their new homes.
The settlement complex is equipped with supporting facilities, including shared public toilets and bathrooms, prayer rooms, public kitchens, communal spaces, children’s playgrounds and parking areas.
The atmosphere was markedly different from the railside settlement where residents used to live in packed housing against the tracks and had to pay for water.
At the old site, only a small number of residents had access to running water. Those who did not have to pay each time they needed water for daily living – including for washing or bathing – at a cost of around 2,000 rupiah (US$0.11) per use.
More importantly, children played and ran freely in the new housing area, away from the dangers of a passing train.
Housewife Finalisa, who like most Indonesians goes by one name, said the new accommodation felt safer and quieter.
“It is more comfortable here. Sleeping is not noisy like it was by the railway tracks,” said the 38-year-old.
“It is better here because we are not anxious. We have small children, and when we lived near the railway lines, if (the children) wanted to buy something, they had to go down and cross the tracks.”
But she said affordability remains a concern in the long run. Her husband does not hold permanent employment and does odd jobs, but needs to feed their family of five.
Finalisa said she would continue living at Hunian Senen if she could afford it, once the initial six-month waiver on rent and utility bills ends. Residents have not yet been told of their rental fees after this six-month adjustment period.
It might still be possible to afford rent below 500,000 rupiah – or about US$31 – a month, she said, but anything above that would be difficult for her family to sustain.
“If we can afford it, we will continue living here. If we cannot, what can we do?” she said. “Our income is uncertain.”
Another resident, Samsudin, 32, cuts a similar figure.
On a good day, the busker earns around 50,000 to 60,000 rupiah, though there are times when he has brought home less than that amount.
“It is comfortable here. There is no loud noise,” said Samsudin, who also provides for his family of five.
“Usually, when sleeping by the railway tracks, there was the sound of trains. And when the children played, we were all worried.”
But he is concerned about what happens after the first six months once the current waiver expires.
He said he had heard the housing might be temporary and feared residents could later be moved farther away from schools and work if they are unable to pay for their lodging.
NOT EVERYONE WANTS TO MOVE
Despite the improved living conditions, not everyone believes relocation is the right answer.
While those at Senen have accepted the government’s relocation programme, some railside dwellers at other locations told CNA they would not take it up if it was offered to them.
Back in Tanah Abang, 49-year-old housewife Susi Nuraini, said she was not ready because her husband and children work nearby, and relocating would mean adjusting to an uncertain new location.
“If we move, we do not yet know where the location will be. We are afraid we will have to adjust,” said Susi.
“It is also free from flooding here, unlike other parts of Jakarta.”
Meanwhile, Achmad Chafidin, 45, said that living next to the railway tracks is dangerous but he has no other options, as his wife has lived there since birth, and they have to care for her elderly parents.
“Of course it is not comfortable living here,” he told CNA.
“But because residents here are used to it, we are more careful. Those of us who have lived here for a long time already know when the trains pass. So if we want to cross or ride a motorcycle, we wait for the train to pass first.”
When CNA met Achmad, he was sitting in front of his house with his wife and his sister-in-law Tuti, the drink seller.
They are neighbours, alongside another of their relatives.
Tuti’s parents moved to Tanah Abang decades ago from Central Java when they were still newlyweds.
Tuti said when she was little, there was only one railway track for a slow commuter train, so it was not as loud as it is today. Once Tuti started her own family, she continued to live with her parents because they needed care.
Meanwhile, her siblings decided to move next door, so they continued to have a close bond, helping each other out, including when Tuti’s husband died.
Earlier in June, Tuti’s mother died, and she and her siblings were there for each other to get through the difficult days.
When CNA interviewed Tuti in front of her house, a mouse was running freely, trying to sneak into her house.
But Tuti, who has a 15-year-old son, said that apart from maintaining a close bond with her family, another benefit of living next to the railway tracks is that it is free and she does not have to pay taxes.
BEYOND JAKARTA
The Jakarta government said the programme will be expanded to other railside settlements, with possible next locations including Tanah Abang and Kampung Bandan.
Other possible relocation options include Jakarta-run flats in Rorotan, North Jakarta, and Pulo Gadung, East Jakarta, said Chico. These are about 17km to 23km away from Tanah Abang and Kampung Bandan.
Franoto, the KAI official in Jakarta, said railway areas should not be used for non-railway activities.
He added that the authorities are working to ensure the cleared area in Pasar Senen is not occupied again by installing CCTVs and having officials patrol it.
“The principle is that there should be no activity in railway areas that are not for railway purposes,” he said.
Veronica Kaihatu, a social psychology expert from Pembangunan Jaya University, said that it is important for the authorities to understand what the majority of residents do for a living, where they work and how much they earn before relocating people to avoid potential problems in time to come.
One successful example comes from Jakarta, where residents living along the banks of the Angke River were relocated to the Cinta Kasih rental flats after the major floods of 2002. They were provided with access to jobs, education and healthcare.
“(The residents) were given explanations about the rent and amenities they will receive, and how to earn money to pay the rent.”
Yayat Supriatna, an urban planning expert from the University of Trisakti, noted that railside settlements are a broader urban issue beyond Jakarta. He said similar settlements can be found in other major Indonesian cities, including Medan in North Sumatra and Surabaya in East Java.
The key question, he said, is whether the new housing is permanent, temporary or merely a shelter.
“When people are moved into flats but cannot pay rent, it becomes a new problem,” he said. “Who will be responsible for the monthly payments in each household?”
Syarifah from Knight Frank said Indonesia is not the only country in Asia which has been trying to relocate people from living next to railways.
In 2012, the government of Mumbai, India, resettled more than 100,000 people living next to railway tracks. And in 2024, the Philippine government also relocated settler families affected by the construction of the North-South Commuter Railway in Laguna.
“Relocations have also been carried out in major cities in Indonesia with a community development and land management strategy to manage the development of cities,” said Syarifah, adding that such strategies have worked in most cases as residents were moved to places near their original locations and were offered affordable housing.
For the former railside residents of Pasar Senen who have moved to their new dwellings, Hunian Senen offers what the tracks never could: quieter nights, safety for children, and running water.
Whether the programme succeeds may depend less on the buildings themselves than on whether families can afford to remain in the safer homes built for them, including potential rental fees, as well as the availability of jobs and schools near the new housing.
“What I hope is that we can stay here permanently and not be moved anywhere else,” said Samsudin, the busker at Hunian Senen.
Source: CNA/ks(as)
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