Getting from Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II International Airport to the city

The light rail

• Palembang LRT line 1 begins at the airport, in a station inside the airport complex.
• It opened for trials on 23 July 2018 and fully on 1 August 2018, built for the Asian Games that year.
• The airport fare is 10,000 rupiah. Every other trip on the line costs 5,000, so the airport carries a small premium and no more.
• The journey into the centre takes about 30 to 45 minutes depending on where you get off.

The line, end to end

• Bandara SMB II, Asrama Haji, Punti Kayu, RSUD, Garuda Dempo, Demang, Bumi Sriwijaya, Dishub, Cinde, Ampera, Polresta, Jakabaring, DJKA.
• Bumi Sriwijaya and Cinde are the central stops.
• Ampera is the one for the Musi river and the Ampera bridge, which is what most visitors have come to see.
• Jakabaring is the sports complex on the south bank.
• One line covers the length of Palembang, so almost nothing needs a change.

Paying

• Tickets can be bought as a paper ticket, with e-money cards, or by QRIS through OVO, DANA or GoPay.
• QRIS is the simplest for a visitor with an Indonesian payment app; otherwise buy at the counter.

Why this is unusual

• Indonesia has very few urban rail lines that reach an airport.
• Palembang has one, it starts at the terminal, and it costs ten thousand rupiah.
• There is not much of a decision to make here.