Rail-based transportation: Luxury and Panoramic become favourites
This article has been translated by PwC Indonesia as part of our Indonesia Infrastructure News Service. PwC Indonesia has not checked the accuracy of, and accepts no responsibility for the content.
Bisnis Indonesia - Transportasi berbasis rel: Luxury dan Panoramic jadi favorit
8 October 2024
By Dea Andriyawan and M. Noli Hendra
Bisnis, Bandung – Luxury-class and Panoramic trains have become the favourite choices for passengers of rail-based transportation, especially in Operational Region 2 Bandung, throughout January to September 2024.
PT Kereta Api Indonesia (Persero) Operational Region 2 Bandung noted that Luxury-class and Panoramic train ticket sales have been increasing up until September 2024.
PT KAI Operational Region 2 Bandung Public Relations Manager, Ayep Hanapi, explained that the increase was due to the unique features and different experience offered by the Luxury-class and Panoramic trains in rail-based transportation.
He mentioned that the Luxury-class train is currently part of the Argo Parahyangan Train (Bandung-Gambir), departing at 11:30 am.
Meanwhile, Panoramic trains are available on the Argo Wilis Train (Bandung-Yogyakarta-Surabaya Gubeng), the Turangga Train (Bandung-Yogyakarta-Surabaya Gubeng), the Pangandaran Train (Banjar-Gambir), the Papandayan Train (Banjar-Gambir), and the Argo Parahyangan Train (Bandung-Gambir).
He added that throughout January to September 2024, PT KAI Operational Region 2 Bandung served 2,907 passengers in the Luxury class.
He revealed that the highest passenger volume for the Luxury-class train was recorded in July 2024, with 454 passengers.
During the same period, Ayep reported that there were 34,429 passengers on Panoramic trains. He added that this figure represents a 101% year-on-year (YoY) increase from 17,089 passengers.
The highest volume of Panoramic train passengers was recorded in July 2024, with 4,986 passengers.
“KAI is thankful to the loyal customers who have chosen the Luxury-class and Panoramic train services. We are committed to continuously enhancing service quality to provide an unforgettable experience for our customers,” he stated.
At another location, PT Kereta Api Indonesia (Persero) Regional Division II West Sumatra also recorded positive performance throughout January to September 2024.
KAI Regional Division II West Sumatra Public Relations Head, M. As’ad Habibuddin, stated that throughout the period, his company served 1.34 million passengers, marking an 8% increase YoY.
“With this good news, we are committed to continuously improving service quality, safety, and comfort on our trips,” he said on Monday (7/10).
In detail, he mentioned that throughout January to September 2024, the Pariaman Ekspres Train, serving the Pauh Lima Padang-Naras route, was the favourite among passengers, recording 1.04 million passengers.
Meanwhile, the Minangkabau Ekspres Train, serving the Pulau Air-Padang-Minangkabau International Airport route, recorded 213,725 passengers. The Lembah Anai Train, serving the Kayu Tanam-Minangkabau International Airport route, logged 87,325 passengers.
In September 2024, he added that KAI Regional Division II West Sumatra carried 140,274 passengers, representing a 3% month-to-month (MtM) increase.
According to him, the increase in passenger volume is sustained by various factors, including groups from schools, communal Qur’an readings, and other activities.
Besides that, he added that the interest in using trains was increasing as they offer comfort at relatively affordable prices.
“Train tickets in West Sumatra are relatively cheap, making trains an attractive option for travel from Padang to Padang Pariaman, or even from Padang to Minangkabau International Airport,” he stated.
Besides that, he added that KAI West Sumatra also has five favourite stations that serve the most customers: Padang Station, Pariaman Station, Air Tawar Station, Naras Station, and BIM Station.
Interest of foreign tourists
On the other hand, PT Kereta Api Indonesia (Persero), or KAI, noted that the use of rail-based transportation is becoming increasingly attractive to foreign tourists.
KAI Public Relations Vice President, Anne Purba, stated that the number of foreign tourists increased by 8.79% YoY.
“Throughout January to September 2024, the number of foreign passengers reached 447,655. This data shows an increase from 2023, which recorded 411,469 passengers,” he said in his official statement on Sunday (6/10).
In detail, she mentioned that the volume of foreign tourists using trains in August reached 83,521, up from 82,913 in July.
He added that the favourite trains for foreign tourists are the Argo Parahyangan Train serving the Gambir-Bandung route, the Kaligung Train serving the Cirebon Prijakan-Semarang Poncol route, the Argo Cheribon Train serving the Gambir-Tegal Station route, the Joglosemarkerto Train serving the Semarang Tawang Bank Jateng-Tegal-Purwokerto-Yogyakarta-Solo-Semarang Tawang Bank Jateng route, and the Sri Tanjung Train serving the Banyuwangi Station-Lempuyangan Station route.
“The increase in international tourists is proof of the trust people have in KAI’s services, which are reliable, safe, and comfortable,” he stated.
According to him, there are 10 stations with the highest rate of departures.
He revealed that tourism cities remain the favourites for foreign tourists travelling by train.
Therefore, he plans to enhance services by upgrading station facilities. These upgrades will include the provision of water stations, information boards in English, prayer rooms, clean toilets, comfortable accessibility, and other amenities.
This step is expected to attract more foreign tourists to use trains.
“This is an effort to facilitate foreign tourists using trains, which will, in turn, promote tourism in Indonesia,” he explained.
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