Six KAI Regions Record Double-Digit Growth as Rail Mobility Strengthens from Java to Sumatra
Jakarta (ANTARA) – Rail travel grew across various corridors in Java and Sumatra during 2026. From January to September, KAI stations recorded 89,951,806 passenger boardings and alightings, an increase of 8.51% from 82,898,440 activities in the same period of 2025.
Notably, six operating regions recorded double-digit growth. In Java, Bandung Operating Region 2 grew by 10.42%, Purwokerto Operating Region 5 by 11.35%, and Yogyakarta Operating Region 6 by 11.00%. In Sumatra, West Sumatra Regional Division 2 grew by 22.21%, Palembang Regional Division 3 by 10.31%, and Tanjungkarang Regional Division 4 by 14.07%.
KAI Vice President of Corporate Communications Anne Purba said the figures showed that travel growth had different characteristics in each region.
“Six regions posted double-digit growth, each with different travel characteristics. This is important because mobility needs are evolving from major cities to regional corridors in Java and Sumatra,” Anne said.
The strongest growth was in West Sumatra Regional Division 2, where activity rose 22.21%, from around 2.84 million to 3.47 million. In Java, growth in Purwokerto Operating Region 5 and Yogyakarta Operating Region 6 was above 11%. Jakarta continued to record the highest volume, with 18.06 million passenger activities, up 6.06%.
The activity figures count passengers boarding and alighting at stations, reflecting the intensity of movement in each region. They differ from the total number of customers served by KAI Group. At group level, KAI served 394,443,300 customers from January to September 2026, up 7.06% from 368,429,917 in the same period a year earlier.
Rail travel is taking place against a backdrop of high mobility across Indonesia. Statistics Indonesia (BPS) recorded 104.30 million domestic tourist trips in August 2026, an 11.47% increase on August 2025. International visitor arrivals in the same month reached 1.60 million.
Differences in growth between regions give KAI information to assess capacity and service needs more specifically. Areas with tourism activity have different patterns from commuter zones and regional corridors. The data are considered alongside occupancy rates, departure patterns, holiday seasons and station capacity when planning services.
National passenger activity reached its monthly peak in March, at 11,505,570, during January–September 2026. Activity was around 10.97 million in June and 10.80 million in July.
“Regional growth gives us a clearer map of where mobility is heading. From there, services can be prepared to suit the travel characteristics of each corridor,” Anne said.