330.000 Customers in Five Months, KA Sangkuriang Brings Java Closer by Rail

A total of 330.186 customers used KA Sangkuriang from May to September 2026. Serving the Bandung–Ketapang round-trip route, the train has become one of the preferred options for cross-Java travel, receiving a strong response since it began operating on May 1, 2026.

The number of KA Sangkuriang customers reached 61.078 in May, 70.399 in June, 67.620 in July, 68.974 in August, and 62.115 in September 2026. As a result, KA Sangkuriang served more than 330.000 customer journeys during its first five months of operation.

KAI Vice President of Corporate Communication Anne Purba said the high usage of KA Sangkuriang demonstrated the development of a travel market along the corridor served by the train.

KA Sangkuriang operates along a 1.002-kilometer route, serving customers with diverse travel needs. These journeys include trips from Bandung to Yogyakarta or Solo, journeys to Surabaya and Jember, as well as customers continuing their trips to Banyuwangi. This pattern shows that rail travel is growing across various city segments along the route.

KA Sangkuriang serves the Bandung–Ketapang round-trip route. Departures from Bandung began on May 1, 2026, while journeys from Ketapang to Bandung started the following day. This corridor provides direct travel from West Java to the easternmost part of Java Island via the southern and eastern railway lines of Java.

The Sangkuriang route passes through various community activity centers and tourist destinations, including Tasikmalaya, Ciamis, Yogyakarta, Solo, Madiun, Surabaya, Jember, Banyuwangi, and Ketapang. The direct service enables customers to travel from Bandung to Banyuwangi without changing trains.

According to Anne, these characteristics make KA Sangkuriang notable for both mobility between urban areas and tourism travel. From Greater Bandung and Priangan, the route connects with the Yogyakarta–Solo area, Madiun, Greater Surabaya, the Tapal Kuda region, and Banyuwangi, each with different travel market characteristics.

A single KA Sangkuriang train set can serve many travel patterns at once. Customers can board and alight at different segments along the route. As a result, the service benefits connections between cities along the line, including travel for family visits, economic activities, education, work, and tourism.

Customer response is also reflected in KA Sangkuriang’s occupancy rate. Based on performance from July to September 2026, KA Sangkuriang train number 7044A recorded an average occupancy rate of 240.53 percent, the highest among featured trains operating to and from Bandung during that period. Its occupancy rate reached approximately 251 percent in July, 244 percent in August, and 227 percent in September 2026.

During the 2026 school holiday period, the service’s occupancy rate even reached 284 percent. Occupancy figures above 100 percent resulted from customers changing across different travel segments. The same seat can be used by different customers after the previous customer alights at their destination station. Therefore, these figures do not mean that the number of customers inside the train exceeds its seating capacity at the same time.

Anne said the occupancy figures demonstrated strong demand for partial-route journeys. This means KA Sangkuriang carries customers throughout its route, rather than only between Bandung and Ketapang. Customers also use the service for intercity journeys across various intermediate segments.

KA Sangkuriang also offers a variety of service options. Each train set provides 456 seats, comprising 16 Compartment Suites seats, 200 Executive Class seats, and 240 Premium Economy seats.

Through Compartment Suites, customers can enjoy a more private travel space with seats that recline up to 180 degrees. Executive Class is available in four carriages, each with 50 seats, while Premium Economy consists of three carriages, each with a capacity of 80 seats.

Anne said this combination provides customers with a wide range of options for journeys exceeding 1.000 kilometers. Customers have diverse travel needs, ranging from intercity trips lasting several hours to long journeys to East Java. Different classes are available within one train set so customers can tailor their journeys to their respective needs and preferences.

The high usage of KA Sangkuriang during its first five months illustrates the travel potential created when cities in West Java, Central Java, the Special Region of Yogyakarta, and East Java are connected through a single travel corridor. As of the first half of 2026, KAI had identified Sangkuriang as a direct service providing access from West Java to Banyuwangi via Yogyakarta, Solo, Surabaya, and other cities along the southern and eastern railway lines of Java.

The achievement of 330.000 customers in five months illustrates how a single rail service can facilitate numerous intercity journeys at once. KA Sangkuriang brings Bandung closer to cities across southern and eastern Java while providing more options for people to travel and explore various destinations by train.