Prabowo Returns to Jakarta Aboard Nusantara Explorer Train After Batang Working Visit
President Prabowo Subianto returned to Jakarta on Thursday after completing a working visit to Batang Regency, Central Java, aboard the Nusantara Explorer, the newest premium train service of PT KAI.
During the overland journey to Jakarta, the President was accompanied by a number of ministers, including Minister of State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi, Minister of Foreign Affairs Sugiono, Minister of Culture Fadli Zon, and Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya.
The Nusantara Explorer carrying the President departed from Batang at around 5.00pm Western Indonesia Time.
On board the train, Minister of State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi, who also serves as spokesperson for the President of the Republic of Indonesia, explained that the Nusantara Explorer tourism train service is a follow-up to President Prabowo’s instruction to PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI).
“In order to boost tourism potential, one of the President’s wishes is for us to develop rail-based tourism,” Prasetyo said in response to journalists’ questions.
Pras, as Prasetyo is affectionately known, continued by saying that PT KAI in fact already has a business unit providing tourist train services. However, the President requested that these services be further strengthened through the development of new carriages paired with leading tourist destinations across Indonesia.
Pras went on to say that the Nusantara Explorer is still in the trial phase and has not yet been officially launched to the public. Even so, he assessed that the quality of the carriages tested today has already met international standards.
“Today is still a trial run because it has not been officially launched yet, and according to us — those of us who were invited to look inside the carriage cabin interior — we greatly appreciate that PT KAI is now able to produce world-class, international-class train carriages,” he said.
On the same occasion, Minister of Culture Fadli Zon expressed confidence that the Nusantara Explorer holds significant appeal to support tourism development. Beyond that, the Nusantara Explorer opens up new opportunities for members of the public seeking a different travel experience.
“If I may add a little, it seems from the conversations earlier and the responses from many people, this will attract a lot of interest — perhaps even people hiring out carriages for events such as reunions, gatherings, or meetings on the move. It is very unique, very unique,” said Fadli Zon.