1.08 Million People Utilise KAI Group Special Fares, Independence Spirit Moves Forward with the Railway
The spirit of Indonesia’s 81st Independence Day moved forward alongside the public’s journeys by rail. On 17 August 2026, a total of 1,084,699 people utilised the KAI Group special fare programme across long-distance train services, the Commuter Line, and the Jabodebek LRT.
This figure comprised 31,634 economy-class commercial seats on long-distance trains sold with a 17% discount, 969,648 Commuter Line passengers who took advantage of the Rp8 fare, and 83,417 Jabodebek LRT passengers with the same fare.
KAI President Director Bobby Rasyidin said the Independence Day momentum showcased two distinct travel characteristics. Intercity mobility strengthened during the holiday period, while urban service travel patterns tended to be more subdued compared to working days. Behind these dynamics, the spirit of KAI Group personnel remained the same in maintaining service to the public.
“The 17 August momentum has a distinctive travel rhythm. There are people travelling intercity to holiday and meet family, while commuter mobility adjusts to the holiday pattern. In any condition, the spirit of KAI Group personnel remains alive to serve,” said Bobby.
For long-distance train services, the 17% discount was offered for commercial economy class with departures specifically on 17 August 2026. A total of 31,634 seats were sold through the programme. The highest realisation by departure region was recorded in Operational Area 4 Semarang with 8,430 passengers, followed by Operational Area 1 Jakarta with 8,187 passengers.
The Independence Day festivities were also present in the public’s journeys in urban areas. The special Rp8 fare on most Commuter Line services was utilised by 969,648 passengers, comprising 777,051 Jabodetabek Commuter Line passengers, 29,645 Yogyakarta Region VI Commuter Line passengers, 16,958 Banten Merak Regular Region I Commuter Line passengers, 92 Farmers and Traders Train passengers in Banten Region I, 83,180 Bandung Region II Commuter Line passengers, 3,247 Prameks Yogyakarta Region VI Commuter Line passengers, and 59,475 Surabaya Region VIII Commuter Line passengers.
On the Jabodebek LRT service, the Rp8 fare was utilised by 83,417 passengers. Overall, the Commuter Line and Jabodebek LRT served 1,053,065 passengers with the special fare during the 17 August momentum.
Bobby said the travel pattern on holidays is part of the dynamics of public transport. When routine office and educational activities decrease, urban service volumes can adjust. At the same time, intercity travel receives a boost from people using the holiday momentum to travel.
“Every figure represents someone’s journey. Therefore, our attention remains on safety, service punctuality, comfort, and the readiness of personnel from the start until passengers arrive at their destination,” said Bobby.
This spirit aligns with the theme of the 81st Anniversary of the Republic of Indonesia, “Indonesia Berdaulat, Adil, dan Makmur” (A Sovereign, Just, and Prosperous Indonesia). KAI interprets this through the role of public transport in continuously connecting people with family, work, economic activities, education, and tourist destinations across various regions.
Amidst the Independence Day celebrations, thousands of KAI Group personnel continued to carry out their duties at stations, on board trains, in travel control centres, in facilities and infrastructure, and at various service points. While some members of the public enjoyed the holiday, railway services continued to operate to ensure every journey remained safeguarded.
“Independence is the energy to keep moving forward together. As long as the railway carries the public towards their destinations, KAI Group personnel will continue to safeguard that journey with discipline, care, and the spirit of serving Indonesia,” Bobby concluded.