{
    "success": true,
    "data": {
        "id": 1842677,
        "msgid": "kais-retail-freight-volume-reaches-123-810-tonnes-in-first-half-of-2026-boosting-rail-based-logistics-1783317203",
        "date": "2026-07-06 11:50:31",
        "title": "KAI's Retail Freight Volume Reaches 123,810 Tonnes in First Half of 2026, Boosting Rail-Based Logistics",
        "author": "",
        "source": "ANTARA_ID",
        "tags": "",
        "topic": "Infrastructure",
        "summary": "PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) reported a 5.06% year-on-year increase in retail freight volume for the first half of 2026, reaching 123,810 tonnes. The growth signals strengthening demand for rail-based distribution as a solution to Indonesia's high logistics costs, which currently stand at 14.29% of GDP. KAI is expanding its business-to-business partnerships to integrate rail as the backbone of middle-mile distribution, aiming to enhance supply chain efficiency for businesses and small enterprises.",
        "content": "<p>PT Kereta Api Indonesia (Persero) recorded retail freight volume of\n123,810 tonnes during the first half of 2026. This achievement\nrepresents a 5.06% increase compared to the 117,851 tonnes recorded in\nthe same period of 2025, and a 21.84% rise from the 101,617 tonnes in\nthe first half of 2024. The growth indicates that demand for goods\ndistribution via rail continues to strengthen. The average monthly\nretail freight volume for KAI from January to June 2026 reached\napproximately 20,635 tonnes, higher than the average of 19,642 tonnes\nper month in the first half of 2025 and 16,936 tonnes per month in 2024.\nVice President of Corporate Communication at KAI, Anne Purba, stated\nthat retail freight has become an important growth area within the\nnational logistics ecosystem. She noted that the service offers\nbusinesses a scheduled, high-capacity intercity distribution option\nconnected to partner logistics networks. \u201cKAI\u2019s retail freight is\ngrowing because the market requires more efficient, well-planned\ndistribution that can reach across cities. This signals that railways\ncan play a larger role in the national logistics system, including\nsupporting businesses and MSMEs,\u201d Anne said. KAI\u2019s retail freight\nservice operates on a Business-to-Business (B2B) model through strategic\npartnerships with logistics companies. Under this scheme, businesses,\nMSMEs, and the public can utilise rail-based delivery services via\npartner networks, service points, and available onward distribution\nservices. In the logistics chain, railways play a strong role in the\nmiddle-mile or main intercity journey. Goods are consolidated by\npartners, transported by train on main routes, and then forwarded\nthrough onward distribution services to the final destination. This\npattern allows railways to become the backbone of medium- and\nlong-distance distribution, while road transport remains vital for\nfirst-mile and last-mile connections. \u201cRailways have advantages in\ncapacity, schedule regularity, and efficiency for intercity travel. When\nthis role is combined with partners\u2019 first-mile and last-mile networks,\nbusinesses can access a more competitive distribution chain,\u201d Anne said.\nStrengthening rail-based retail freight is increasingly strategic as\nIndonesia\u2019s logistics costs remain a challenge to national\ncompetitiveness. The Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs recorded\nthat Indonesia\u2019s logistics costs stand at around 14.29% of GDP. High\nlogistics costs can impact goods prices, export competitiveness,\ninvestment, regional price disparities, and supply stability. As a\nglobal comparison, the World Bank notes that the average logistics cost\nis around 13% of GDP, while the most efficient countries achieve around\n8%. This comparison shows that Indonesia still has significant room to\nstrengthen national supply chain efficiency, including by increasing the\nshare of rail-based logistics. With Indonesia\u2019s GDP at current prices in\n2025 recorded at Rp23,821.1 trillion by the Central Statistics Agency\n(BPS), national logistics costs at a ratio of 14.29% equate to\napproximately Rp3,404 trillion per year. As a macro simulation, if a 30%\nefficiency gain could be achieved across the national logistics system,\nthe potential theoretical savings could reach around Rp1,021 trillion\nper year. This figure illustrates the enormous economic impact of\nstrengthening a more efficient logistics system. The government is also\ncontinuing to encourage the development of the railway network as part\nof efforts to reduce logistics costs and strengthen interregional\neconomic connectivity. The Coordinating Ministry for Infrastructure and\nRegional Development reaffirmed in 2026 that the development of an\nintegrated railway network can significantly reduce logistics costs and\nenhance interregional economic competitiveness. Anne added that the\ngrowth of KAI\u2019s retail freight could serve as momentum to strengthen\nrail-based national logistics policy. She said that railways have\nsignificant potential to become the backbone of intercity distribution,\nespecially on routes with stable goods volume, medium to long distances,\nand scheduled delivery needs. \u201cThe strengthening of rail-based retail\nfreight must be seen as part of the larger agenda for national logistics\nefficiency. When retail goods can be better consolidated, connected to\nthe rail network, and then forwarded through partner distribution,\ndelivery costs have the potential to become increasingly competitive.\nThe impact will return to businesses, MSMEs, and the public through a\nhealthier supply chain,\u201d Anne said. KAI will continue to open space for\ncollaboration with the government, logistics partners, businesses,\nindustrial estates, and MSMEs to enlarge the role of railways in retail\ngoods distribution. Support for logistics nodes, intermodal integration,\nfirst-mile and last-mile access, and retail shipment consolidation is\nkey for railways to contribute more significantly to reducing national\nlogistics costs. With a consistent growth trend, KAI\u2019s retail freight\nsignals that rail-based logistics deserves to be placed as one of the\ngovernment\u2019s strategic agendas. \u201cThe greater the share of goods that\nshift to rail for main intercity journeys, the greater the opportunity\nfor Indonesia to build a more efficient and competitive distribution\nsystem that directly benefits the people\u2019s economy,\u201d Anne concluded.<\/p>",
        "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/kais-retail-freight-volume-reaches-123-810-tonnes-in-first-half-of-2026-boosting-rail-based-logistics-1783317203",
        "image": ""
    },
    "sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
    "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}