Makassar–Parepare Train Passengers Rise 13.62 Percent, KAI Expands Connectivity and Opportunities for South Sulawesi Communities
PT Kereta Api Indonesia (Persero) recorded positive growth for its Makassar–Parepare train service throughout January to July 2026. During this period, the service carried 206,651 passengers, a 13.62 percent increase compared to the 181,876 passengers served in the same period of 2025. Cumulatively, since the start of operations until July 2026, the Makassar–Parepare line has served 1,032,163 passengers. Surpassing the one million passenger mark demonstrates the strong public need in South Sulawesi for safe, comfortable, affordable, and scheduled public transport.
Vice President of Corporate Communication at KAI, Anne Purba, stated that this passenger growth carries a broader message about the meaning of connectivity for regional development. A region will have greater room to grow when its people can more easily reach centres of education, employment, trade, public services, tourism, and various social activities. “Indonesia has enormous potential spread across every region. Connectivity helps bring that potential together with opportunity. When travel access becomes more open, people have a wider space to learn, work, build businesses, meet family, and contribute to developing their areas,” Anne said.
The presence of railway services in South Sulawesi also expands mobility options for communities outside Java and Sumatra. The service is part of the Sulawesi railway network development designed to connect centres of community activity and support regional growth. The strategic role of connectivity is underscored by South Sulawesi’s growing economy, which recorded annual growth of 6.88 percent in the first quarter of 2026, indicating economic activity that requires increasingly robust and connected transport support.
This economic growth is formed by activities across various sectors and regions. The benefits of development become more widespread when citizens can reach activity centres with more predictable travel times and measurable costs. For workers, connectivity broadens employment options without necessarily having to leave their home regions. For students, easier travel opens access to schools, universities, training, and learning spaces. For MSMEs, public mobility brings new potential customers and opportunities to introduce local products to wider markets.
The tourism sector can also reap similar benefits. The Makassar–Parepare route passes through areas rich in natural beauty, culture, cuisine, and history, including Maros, Pangkep, and Barru. Easier travel allows tourists to discover more destinations, while local communities gain opportunities from culinary businesses, accommodation, connecting transport, the creative economy, and sales of local products. “Opportunities come in concrete forms. There are traders who meet new customers, young people who pursue education or training, workers who reach their workplaces, and families who can travel more easily. Every journey can be the start of an opportunity that previously felt distant,” Anne said.
Parepare holds a special place in Indonesia’s national journey. The city is the birthplace of Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie, the third President of the Republic of Indonesia, a scientist, and a national technology figure. The Presidential Museum of the Republic of Indonesia records that B.J. Habibie was born in Parepare on 25 June 1936, before embarking on a journey of education and service that led him to contribute to Indonesia. This story conveys the message that national talent can emerge from any city. A birthplace does not determine how far someone can aspire. However, every talent requires access to education, knowledge, experience, and space to develop their abilities.
Connectivity provides the opportunity for the potential of children from the regions to meet various spaces for learning and self-development. A child growing up in South Sulawesi can become a scientist, engineer, educator, artist, athlete, entrepreneur, leader, or bring great ideas to Indonesia when their path to opportunity is increasingly open. “Parepare once gave birth to B.J. Habibie, a figure who showed that a child from the regions can bring Indonesian ideas across the world. We never know from which city or village the next great talent will emerge. Our shared task is to open access so that every child has the opportunity to learn, grow, and advance,” Anne said.
Equal opportunity does not mean everyone must travel the same life path. It means that origin, distance, and limited access do not become the main barriers for someone to develop their abilities. In this context, the railway holds a meaning close to the human journey. A train set always moves along its track, passing through cities and regions, carrying each passenger to different destinations. Some are heading to school, workplaces, business locations, tourist destinations, family homes, or places where new hopes begin. As the 81st Anniversary of the Independence of the Republic of Indonesia approaches on 17 August 2026, the growth of the Makassar–Parepare train service becomes part of the effort to expand the benefits of transport development to the community. Independence takes on a stronger meaning when every citizen has the access to determine the direction of their own life. Young people can pursue education, parents can build livelihoods, and business actors can expand their enterprises.