Trains

Indonesia's railways have changed more in the last decade than in the previous half-century. The Dutch built the network on Java to move goods and personnel; the Japanese occupation (1942-1945) first ran it as a single system; and after independence in 1945 the state took over, nationalising the railways in 1954.

KAI and the national network

PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) remains the state operator, running long-distance and local intercity trains and paying track-access fees to the government; the Directorate General of Railways regulates the sector under the Minister of Transportation. The active network now stands at roughly 6,900 km across Java, Sumatra, Sulawesi and Papua, with a target above 10,500 km. Sulawesi is no longer railway-less: the Makassar-Parepare line opened in 2022. In 2026 the government committed to a long-term expansion adding thousands of kilometres of new track outside Java, including Trans-Sumatra and Trans-Kalimantan lines, by 2045.

Intercity trains run in eksekutif, bisnis and ekonomi classes, with air-conditioning and a trolley meal service. From Jakarta, most premium services leave Gambir; economy and mixed services use Pasar Senen. On the scenic runs to Bandung or Yogyakarta, reserve a seat on the right, facing forward, for the best views of the ravines and peaks.

The headline change is Whoosh, Southeast Asia's first high-speed line. Opened in October 2023 and run by KCIC, it covers the 142 km from Halim in Jakarta to Tegalluar near Bandung at up to 350 km/h, cutting a three-hour journey to about 45 minutes. It had carried more than 15 million passengers by April 2026. Fares run from around Rp 150,000 in premium economy to roughly Rp 400,000 in first class.

Commuter lines

Greater Jakarta's electric commuter trains (KRL) are run by PT Kereta Commuter Indonesia, branded KAI Commuter, the successor to the old KCJ. The Jabodetabek network reaches Bogor, Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi, and the same operator now runs commuter lines around Yogyakarta-Solo, Bandung and Surabaya. Every train is air-conditioned; the old non-AC "cattle class" and the roof-riders are gone. Fares are Rp 3,000 for the first 25 km, then Rp 1,000 for each further 10 km, about Rp 6,000 to Bogor. Services run from roughly 04:00 to midnight.

You pay by tapping in and out with a reloadable Kartu Multi Trip (KMT) card, sold at station counters for Rp 40,000 including Rp 10,000 of credit, or with a bank e-money card or a QR code. It also works on the MRT, LRT and TransJakarta.

Booking tickets

The old business of downloading a PDF form and paying at the loket is finished. Intercity and Whoosh tickets are booked online, principally through the Access by KAI app or the kai.id website, with payment by bank transfer, card or e-wallet and a QR boarding pass. Foreign residents can register with a passport number; the app now handles most of the country's rail ticketing. English-language partners such as Tiket.com and Traveloka are useful alternatives, especially from abroad. Book early: for Idul Fitri and the school holidays, trains sell out weeks ahead.

Contributor: Jakartass

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