Rail services in North Sumatra remain normal despite power outage

Medan, Kompas.com — PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI), Divre I Sumatera Utara, has confirmed that all train services in North Sumatra continued to operate safely and normally. The assurance came after power supply disruptions affected almost the entire region on Friday night (22 May 2026). The Head of Public Relations for KAI Divre I Sumatera Utara, Anwar Yuli Prastyo, said the electricity outage from the energy provider did not affect the train schedule. The departures and arrivals for passengers continued on schedule. ‘Even though there was a blackout, rail operations in North Sumatra remain safe. For departures and arrivals after the outage on Friday (22 May) at 18:44 WIB until Saturday (23 May) at 07:30 WIB, all train services ran exactly as scheduled,’ Anwar said in Medan, on Saturday (23 May 2026). The stations include Medan Station, Tanjungbalai Station, Siantar Station, and Rantauprapat Station. All services at these main stations ran without delays. KAI Divre I Sumatera Utara also kept standby power generators to anticipate emergencies. Electricity is a vital resource to maintain service. The generators are used to supply energy for communications equipment, signalling systems, and direct customer service needs within the station area. ‘During a blackout, generating plants take a little time to start and produce electricity, which is then distributed for needs such as lighting, cooling, and other functions. KAI Divre I Sumatera Utara apologises to train passengers who experience inconvenience during the energy source transition,’ he added. Specifically at Medan Station, KAI has operated a Solar Power Plant (PLTS). The solar panels generate energy for daytime operations.