KAI Agrees to Cement Freight Service with 400-Ton Capacity

PT Kereta Api Indonesia (Persero) and PT Semen Indonesia (Persero) Tbk officially launched a cement freight train service operating on the Babat–Jakarta Gudang route. During its inaugural trip, KAI transported 280 tons of cement, equivalent to seven Flat Wagons (GD).

Going forward, KAI will operate the service with a capacity of 400 tons per day using 10 Flat Wagons, covering a distance of 770.5 km with an estimated travel time of approximately 14 hours.

The inauguration and inaugural departure of the cement freight service were attended by KAI Commercial Director Dadan Rudiansyah, Acting President Director of KAI Logistik TLN Ahmad Malik Syah, and President Director of PT Semen Gresik Subhan at Babat Station, Lamongan Regency, on Friday (15/10).

"KAI would like to express its gratitude to Semen Indonesia Group for choosing rail transportation to distribute its cement products. We hope this railway service will help Semen Indonesia Group manage its logistics chain more efficiently," said KAI Commercial Director Dadan Rudiansyah.

Rail freight transportation always prioritizes safety, security, and punctuality. In addition, freight trains are environmentally friendly because a single train can transport large volumes of goods in one trip.

This collaboration is also expected to encourage other business operators to shift their freight transportation to rail, which offers numerous advantages.

"We hope the spirit of synergy among state-owned enterprises and this collaboration will continue to grow and expand across other KAI Group and Semen Indonesia Group operations," Dadan concluded.

As part of this strategic collaboration between state-owned enterprises, KAI has also involved its subsidiary, KAI Logistik, to manage the logistics process, including distribution activities as well as supporting pre- and post-delivery services such as trucking from the cement plant to the loading station, loading and unloading operations between trucks and trains, and warehousing services for cement storage.

Acting President Director of KAI Logistik, TLN Ahmad Malik Syah, stated, "Before the official launch, trial operations were conducted twice on 11 and 12 October, transporting a total trial load of 800 tons. The evaluation results were satisfactory, allowing the service to begin regular operations."

"KAI Logistik has also introduced an innovation in cement transportation by combining flat wagons, pallets, tarpaulins, and specially designed lashing ropes. This configuration enables maximum carrying capacity, easier loading and unloading, while maintaining the safety and security of the cargo throughout the delivery process," said Ahmad Malik Syah, who is commonly known as Malik.

Freight transportation has continued to be one of KAI's core services during the Covid-19 pandemic. From January to September 2021, KAI transported 37.2 million tons of freight, representing a 10% increase compared to 33.7 million tons during the same period in 2020.

KAI will continue to introduce new innovations in its freight transportation services to strengthen its role as the backbone of Indonesia's national logistics distribution. (Public Relations KAI)