Regions Outside Java Still Treated as "Stepchildren" Regarding Railway Networks: AHY's Strategy

Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono (AHY) has revealed the disparity in railway network development between Java and other regions in Indonesia. He made this statement following a coordination meeting on the national railway network development, involving several ministries, agencies, and related state-owned enterprises at Tanah Abang Station, Central Jakarta, on Wednesday (22/04/2026). Out of the total approximately 12,000 km of rail network, around 10,000 km are located on Java. Of that amount, about 7,000 km are still actively operating, while the rest are inactive. Meanwhile, Kalimantan has no railway network at all, and Sulawesi only has around 100 km of rail. “Thus, the President’s directive to develop railway networks in Sumatra, Kalimantan, and Sulawesi becomes strategic,” said AHY. He added that this development is important to support logistics distribution, especially in regions with significant natural resource potential. Furthermore, expanding the railway network is expected to drive national railway industry self-reliance through strengthening the domestic industrial ecosystem. AHY assessed that Indonesia’s railway sector is still experiencing underinvestment compared to the road sector. He cited, for 2026, the budget allocation for national road construction and maintenance reaches about Rp 46 trillion, while for railway tracks it is only about Rp 5 trillion. “So there is a gap there,” said AHY. AHY noted that the land transportation sector, dominated by private vehicles, contributes around 89% of carbon emissions, while railways contribute less than 1%. Therefore, railway development is considered important to reduce emissions and alleviate the burden on highways.