Urban Rail Transit of Southeast Asia

A complete guide to the current and proposed urban rail transit systems of Southeast Asia.

What Is Urban Rail Transit?

Urban rail transit is a catch-all term for the different modes of city and suburban railway systems. According to Wikipedia, this can include tram, light rail, rapid transit, monorail, commuter rail, funicular, and cable car.

Sometimes the definition of different system types blur between each other, so it is easier to place everything in one list rather than making a separate list for each transport type.

The term urban rail transit is useful for places that operate transport systems with different modes of railways. For example, the transport system for Greater Kuala Lumpur (Klang Valley Integrated Transit System) operates an MRT, LRT, monorail, commuter railway, and a dedicated airport express railway.

This list includes all types of urban and commuter railways. It excludes monorails, funiculars, and cable cars that are not used for public transport (such as at theme parks and the Penang Hill Railway). Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is also excluded, but people movers are included (even if they have rubber wheels). I will make a separate list of BRTs of Southeast Asia in the future.

Urban Rail Transit of Southeast Asia Map

Map featuring all current, proposed, and never-built urban rail transit of Southeast Asia.

[Map of urban rail transit of Southeast Asia.]

Blue: Operating.
Orange: Under construction.
Grey: Proposed/planned/never built.

Articles about Urban Rail Transit of Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia urban rail transit report – 2023 (subscriber only)
Phnom Penh metro, fixing Manila’s decades of neglect, Bangkok-centric development continues in Thailand, maybe the HCMC Metro in 2023, and my pick for best transit proposal of the year

List of current urban rail systems in Southeast Asia.

If you want to just read what is published here, scroll through the Urban Rail Transit category page.

Comparison of cost and construction times of first metro lines in Asia.

For airport railways, visit Airport Railways In Southeast Asia.

Urban Rail Transit country list

Brunei

Bandar Seri Begawan
Brunei Metro [proposed].

Cambodia

Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh Metro [proposed].

Indonesia

Java

Bandung
Bandung LRT [proposed].

Jakarta
North-South Line (Jakarta MRT).
Southern Line (LRT Jakarta).
Tanjung Priok Line (KRL Commuterline)
Cikarang Loop Line (KRL Commuterline)
Bogor Line (KRL Commuterline)
Rangkasbitung Line (KRL Commuterline)
Tangerang Line (KRL Commuterline)
Soekarno–Hatta Airport Railink (railink.co.id).

Semarang
Tram [proposed].

Surabaya
KA Komuter (kai.id).
Surabaya MRT [proposed].

Surakarta (Solo)
Batara Kresna Railbus.
Adisumarmo Airport Rail Link.

Yogyakarta
KRL Commuterline Yogyakarta–Solo (krl.co.id).
Prambanan Express.
Yogyakarta International Airport Rail Link (KAI)
Yogyakarta LRT [proposed].

Sumatra

Batam
Batam LRT [proposed].

Medan
Medan LRT [proposed].
Kualanamu Airport Railink Services (ARS) (railink.co.id).
Sri Lelawangsa Commuter Rail.

Padang
Minangkabau Express Airport Rail Link.

Palembang
Palembang LRT.
Railbus Kertalaya.

Bali

Kuta
Bali LRT [proposed].
Bali Beach Tram [proposed].
Bali Railway Concept Map.

Kalimantan

Nusantara
Nusantara Autonomous Rail Transit (ART)

Sulawesi

Makassar
Makassar MRT [proposed].

Laos

Vientiane
Vientiane Transit [proposed].

Malaysia

Johor Bahru
Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System [under construction].
Johor Bahru LRT [proposed].

Kota Kinabalu
Kota Kinabalu Sky Train [proposed].

Kuala Lumpur (Klang Valley Integrated Transit System)
MRT: Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) (mymrt.com.my).

Rapid KL: Light Rapid Transit (LRT) (myrapid.com.my).

KTM Komuter: Commuter rail (ktmb.com.my/komuter.html).
KL Monorail (myrapid.com.my).

Express Rail Link: Airport rail link (kliaekspres.com).

Improving the interchanges and connections of the KL metro transit system

Kuantan
Kuantan Skytrain [proposed].

Kuching
Autonomous Rail Transit (ART) [proposed].

Langkawi
Langkawi LRT [proposed].

Melaka
Melaka Tram [proposed].
Melaka Aerorail [postponed indefinitely].

Penang
Bayan Lepas LRT [proposed].
George Town–Butterworth LRT [proposed].

Putrajaya
Putrajaya-Cyberjaya Transit System.
Putrajaya Monorail [cancelled].

Myanmar

Naypyitaw
Naypyitaw Urban Mass Rapid Transit [proposed].

Yangon
Yangon Circular Railway.
Yangon Urban Mass Rapid Transit [proposed].

Philippines

Baguio
Baguio Monorail [proposed].

Cagayan de Oro

Cagayan de Oro Light Rail Transit [proposed].

Cebu
Cebu Monorail [proposed].

Davao
Davao Monorail [proposed].

Iloilo City
Iloilo Monorail [proposed].

Manila (National Capital Region)
Future Manila mass transit system – Every urban rail line planned for Metro Manila.
Manila Metro Rail Transit System (MRTS)
Manila Light Rail Transit System (lrta.gov.ph).
PNR Metro Commuter Line (pnr.gov.ph).
Metro Manila Subway [under construction].
Makati Intra-city Subway [under construction].
North–South Commuter Railway (NSCR) [under construction].
Bicutan Automated Guideway Transit System [under construction].
SkyTrain [proposed].

Unified Grand Central Station

Singapore

Singapore
Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) [smrt.com.sg].
Light Rail Transit (LRT) [sbstransit.com.sg].

Thailand

Bangkok Metropolitan Region

Bangkok Mass Rapid Transit System Guide – Current, under construction, and proposed lines, and maps.

Bangkok Mass Transit System – A guide to the urban railways of Bangkok.

BTS Skytrain (bts.co.th).

Bangkok Yellow Line: A review of the first monorail in Thailand.

Gold Line Automated People Pover (BTS).
Metropolitan Rapid Transit (mrta.co.th).

SRT Red Lines Commuter Rail (State Railway of Thailand).
Monorail (MRT) [under construction].
Bangkok Grey Line Monorail
Bangkok Light Blue Line Monorail

Airport Rail Link (srtet.co.th).

Don Mueang–Suvarnabhumi–U-Tapao high-speed railway [under construction].

The ticketing mess of Bangkok’s rail transit
The station transfer mess of Bangkok’s rail transit
Bangkok Urban Rail Transit Update – 2021 Edition

Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai Mass Transit [proposed].

Hat Yai
Hat Yai Monorail [proposed].
Hat Yai – Songkhla Commuter Rail [proposed].

Khon Kaen
Khon Kaen Transit System [proposed].

Nakhon Ratchasima
Nakhon Ratchasima Light Rail Transit [proposed].

Pattaya
Pattaya Monorail [proposed].

Phitsanulok
Phitsanulok Mass Transt [proposed].

Phuket
Phuket Light Rail [proposal].