Public Trust Increases, KAI Divre I North Sumatra Serves 265,000 Passengers
The government is committed to not raising the price of subsidised fuel throughout 2026.
PT Kereta Api Indonesia Divisi Regional I North Sumatra recorded a positive growth trend in passenger transport volume during the March 2026 period. A total of 265,081 customers have used the train services.
This figure indicates a significant increase of 35 per cent compared to the same period in March 2025, which served 193,531 customers.
Acting Manager of Public Relations for KAI Divre I North Sumatra, Anwar Yuli Prastyo, stated that this surge in numbers is a strong indicator of the increasing enthusiasm among the public for rail-based transportation in North Sumatra.
“This significant increase in the number of customers shows that public trust in North Sumatra for using trains is rising, in line with the improving facilities and services provided by KAI Divre I North Sumatra,” said Anwar on Tuesday (7/4).
The high passenger volume in March 2026 was triggered by the momentum of Nyepi Day and Eid al-Fitr 1447 H, whose timings were close together. In addition, the government’s stipulation of joint leave further encouraged high mobility among North Sumatra residents for travel to maintain family ties or holidays.
Besides the factor of the long holiday period, Anwar added that the government’s stimulus programme also served as a major attraction for service users.
“The transport discounts provided by the government as an economic stimulus programme have greatly facilitated the public and encouraged movement to boost the economy in North Sumatra. This is evident from the 13,587 North Sumatra residents who took advantage of the promotion to travel during the Eid period,” he added.
Throughout the first quarter of January–March 2026, KAI Divre I North Sumatra has in total served 763,694 passengers. This achievement saw an increase of 23 per cent compared to the same period in 2025, when the number of passengers was recorded at 618,428 people.
Several popular train services among the public that continue to show a rising trend in interest include KA Sribilah Utama, KA Putri Deli, and KA Siantar Ekspres.
Maintaining punctuality in both departures and arrivals has become one of the key factors in increasing public trust amid competition from other land transportation modes.