KAI Group Serves 351.6 Million Passengers up to August 2026, a 7.09 Per Cent Increase

PT Kereta Api Indonesia (Persero) and KAI Group served 351,602,397 passengers throughout January–August 2026, representing a 7.09% increase compared to the 328,311,868 passengers recorded during the same period in 2025. This growth spanned various service segments, including tourist trains, LRT, intercity and local travel, commuter lines, airport trains, and high-speed rail.

KAI Vice President of Corporate Communication, Anne Purba, stated that this development reflects the increasingly diverse needs of the public being met through the KAI Group ecosystem.

“A total of 3lar 351.6 million passengers used KAI Group services in the first eight months of 2026. Growth occurred across various travel characteristics, ranging from daily urban mobility and intercity travel to airport access and tourism trips. We continue to strengthen the connectivity between services to expand the benefits of rail-based transport,” said Anne.

The highest growth was recorded in services managed by KAI Wisata, which saw 216,980 passengers, a 49.09% increase compared to 145,537 passengers during January–August 2025. This performance demonstrates the growing use of railways as part of luxury travel and the passenger experience.

Further growth came from the Jabodebek LRT. Between January and August 2026, this service recorded 21,809,797 passengers, up 19.05% from 18,320,640 passengers in the previous year. The Jabodebek LRT supports mobility between Jakarta and its satellite areas via the Cibubur and Bekasi lines, while connecting with the Commuter Line, MRT Jakarta, TransJakarta, the Whoosh high-speed rail, and other feeder modes.

In South Sulawesi, the Makassar–Parepare train recorded 13.13% growth, rising from 204,856 passengers in January–August 2025 to 231,764 passengers in January–August 2026. This development indicates a growing demand for rail services in Sulawesi and expands public transport access in the region.

For long-distance and local train services managed by KAI, passenger numbers reached 40,379,062, an 8.69% increase from 37,152,345 passengers in the same period last year. This network serves intercity and local journeys connecting various economic, educational, governmental, and tourism hubs, as well as residential areas.

The largest contributor to KAI Group’s passenger volume remains KAI Commuter, with 277,272,682 passengers, a 6.32% increase from 260,797,109 passengers during January–August 2025. Commuter services support daily mobility in the Jabodetabek area and several service regions in Java.

Additionally, Whoosh served 4,078,168 passengers, a 0.68% increase from 4,050,791 passengers in the same period last year. The high-speed rail service strengthens Jakarta–Bandung connectivity and links to several feeder services, including the Jabodeber LRT at Halim and feeder trains to Bandung city centre.

KAI Bandara served 4,647,947 passengers, a 0.19% increase from 4,639,062 passengers in January–August 2025. The presence of airport trains expands public access to airports while connecting them to urban and intercity transport networks.

In South Sumatra, the Sumsel LRT served 2,965,997 passengers throughout January–August 2026. The service connects Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II Airport Station to the DJKA Station in the Jakabaring area, passing through central Palembang and several community activity centres.

Anne explained that the scale of KAI Group allows the public to use several types of rail services within a single journey. In Java, the long-distance and local rail network is integrated with KAI Commuter, Jabodebek LRT, KAI Bandara, Whoosh, and various urban transport modes at integrated stations.

This connectivity is evident in areas such as Halim, where the Jabodebek LRT connects with Whoosh, and Dukuh Atas, where the Commuter Line, Jabodebek LRT, MRT Jakarta, KAI Bandara, and TransJakarta converge; as well as in the Greater Bandung area through the connection between Whoosh, feeder trains, and other rail networks.

In Sumatra, rail services are also a vital part of public mobility. Intercity and local passenger rail networks serve various regions in Sumatra, while the Sumsel LRT strengthens Palembang’s urban transport and access to Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II Airport. This connectivity provides mass transit options for the public while supporting regional economic and tourism activities.

“Every service has a complementary function. Intercity trains connect regions, commuter and LRT services serve urban mobility, airport trains connect travel with air transport, and Whoosh strengthens metropolitan connectivity. We continue to develop this integration to make public movement more efficient and easy,” said Anne.

Alongside passenger mobility, KAI also supports the national logistics chain. Between January and August 2026, KAI transported 36,854,758 tonnes of coal and 8,051,205 tonnes of non-coal goods, including containers, cement, fuel, pulp, plantation products, and retail goods. Rail-based freight services support the distribution of commodities from production centres to industrial areas and distribution points.

“KAI Group will continue to improve the safety, reliability, capacity, and integration of our services. Passenger growth serves as a driver for us to ensure that the railway network provides increasingly greater benefits for public mobility and the national economy,” concluded Anne.