KAI Group Maps Out Integrated Railway Solutions as INKA Integration Strengthens National Industry

PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) Group has begun mapping the capabilities spread across its subsidiaries as a foundation for developing integrated railway solutions for operators, local governments, industrial zones, and transportation companies. This strategic direction gained momentum with the commencement of the integration process between KAI and PT Industri Kereta Api (INKA). The process was launched during a kick-off event at the Jakarta Railway Center, attended by representatives from Danantara Investment Management, the boards of directors of KAI and INKA, the Project Management Office, and consultants. KAI Vice President of Corporate Communication, Anne Purba, stated that the integration connects KAI Group’s experience in managing operations and services with INKA’s expertise in design, engineering, production, and rolling stock development. “This process is still in its early stages and is being carried out gradually through studies, governance, and competency mapping of both companies. Safety, reliability, product quality, and customer needs remain the primary benchmarks,” Anne said. KAI Group’s operational experience is built on a broad service scale. During the first half of 2026, the group served 258,993,359 customers, a 7.55 percent increase from 240,805,920 in the same period of 2025. Freight services reached 32,498,013 tonnes. Operations are supported by 627 stations and an active network spanning 7,765 kilometres of track in Java and Sumatra. As of June 2026, KAI managed 12,856 rolling stock units, comprising 551 locomotives, 1,064 electric multiple units, 2,238 carriages, 8,907 wagons, and 96 diesel multiple units. According to Anne, this scale has generated operational knowledge covering journey planning, rolling stock maintenance, spare parts management, safety control, workforce competency development, customer service, and digital system utilisation. “Each type of rolling stock has different technology, operational characteristics, maintenance needs, and usage cycles. The experience of managing various types of rolling stock becomes a knowledge asset that can be structured into more integrated railway capabilities,” she said. KAI Group’s business activities are supported by six subsidiaries and several associated entities, each with competencies that complement the railway service chain. KAI Bandara develops Maintenance, Operation, Spare Parts and Services (MOSS), covering rolling stock maintenance, operations, spare parts supply, training, signalling systems, and an Airport Railway Ticketing System. In infrastructure, KAI Properti operates in construction, trading, and track and bridge maintenance. KAI Services manages on-board services, security, parking, cleaning, manpower supply, restaurants, catering, and facility management. KAI Logistik provides multimodal rail-based distribution, while KAI Commuter has experience in urban and regional services, and KAI Wisata develops rail-based travel, MICE activities, and heritage destination management. Anne explained that these capabilities are currently spread across different entities according to their respective fields. Mapping is necessary to establish service standards, scope of work, competencies, resources, legal aspects, risk control, and cooperation models before developing them into business-to-business services. “This development must be carried out carefully. Each service must have clear standards, adequate competence, measurable division of responsibilities, and governance that complies with regulations,” Anne said. The integration process with INKA provides an opportunity to complement these capabilities through manufacturing. Operational knowledge can inform the design process, specification setting, production capacity readiness, testing, handover, maintenance, and spare parts availability. During the kick-off, KAI presented an initial projection of KRL needs up to 2040, reaching approximately 156 trainsets. This figure does not yet include the need for diesel multiple units, long-distance train sets, locomotives, and freight rolling stock. Anne emphasised that these figures are still preliminary calculations. Decisions on rolling stock procurement will follow operational needs studies, funding sources, shareholder policies, government regulations, and production readiness. “The projection of needs provides an overview of the long-term industrial development space. Its fulfilment requires aligned planning between operator needs, manufacturer capabilities, technological readiness, product quality, and maintenance support throughout the rolling stock’s service life,” she said. The connection between operations and manufacturing can also accelerate the delivery of field evaluations to producers. Information on rolling stock performance, usage patterns, customer needs, ease of maintenance, component consumption, and geographical conditions can serve as input for future product development. In the long term, this capability structure can be assessed as a solution for transport managers and industrial areas requiring operations, rolling stock maintenance, signalling, training, ticketing systems, construction, track and bridge maintenance, facility management, security, cleaning, and logistics distribution services. Strengthening this value chain also has the potential to support product standardisation, spare parts availability certainty, workforce competency enhancement, national supplier involvement, and rolling stock cost management throughout its service life.