Boarding Becomes More Practical, KAI Face Recognition Used 5.56 Million Times in Semester I 2026

A total of 5,555,034 Long-Distance Train (KA) customers utilized the Face Recognition Boarding Gate facility throughout Semester I 2026, an increase of 53,978 customers compared to the same period last year with 5,501,056 customers.

Customers who have registered only need to direct their face toward the scanning device to match their identity with ticket data, without the need to print a boarding pass. This habit of traveling with a digital-based boarding process is becoming increasingly common across stations.

The use of this technology also brings measurable environmental and operational efficiency benefits. From January to June 2026, face recognition usage reduced the need for approximately 13,888 rolls of boarding pass paper, with estimated cost savings reaching Rp203,800,310.

If each roll of paper has a length of approximately 72 meters, the total paper saved is equivalent to nearly 1,000 kilometers when stretched out. Based on conservative estimates, this amount equals around 4.4 tons of paper, or raw materials equivalent to approximately 75 trees.

Vice President Corporate Communication of KAI, Anne Purba, stated that the use of digital technology provides convenience for customers while helping the company manage resources more efficiently. According to her, face recognition makes the boarding process more practical as customers only need to scan their faces, and when used by millions of customers, eliminating one printed sheet per trip can accumulate into significant paper and cost savings.

These benefits become even more significant when calculated since the face recognition service was first implemented in January 2023. As of June 2026, this facility has been used by 26,964,584 Long-Distance Train customers, reducing the need for approximately 67,411 rolls of boarding pass paper with estimated savings reaching Rp989,263,176. If stretched out, the total paper saved is estimated to exceed 4,853 kilometers.

Ecologically, this cumulative amount is estimated to equal around 21.36 tons of paper, or raw materials equivalent to approximately 363 trees. Anne noted that every customer who chooses digital boarding contributes to reducing material consumption while also helping create a faster service flow, especially at stations with high passenger departure volumes.

Gambir Station recorded the highest number of Face Recognition Boarding Gate users during Semester I 2026, reaching 927,658 customers. It was followed by Yogyakarta Station with 648,737 customers and Pasarsenen Station with 490,450 customers.

The following are the top ten stations with the highest number of face recognition users in Semester I 2026:

1. Gambir Station: 927,658 customers
2. Yogyakarta Station: 648,737 customers
3. Pasarsenen Station: 490,450 customers
4. Semarang Tawang Station: 401,361 customers
5. Purwokerto Station: 341,514 customers
6. Surabaya Pasar Turi Station: 327,434 customers
7. Surabaya Gubeng Station: 269,552 customers
8. Solo Balapan Station: 245,957 customers
9. Bandung Station: 245,445 customers
10. Semarang Poncol Station: 221,660 customers

These ten stations collectively recorded 4,119,768 users, or approximately 74.16 percent of total face recognition usage during Semester I 2026. This means that nearly three out of four uses occurred at the ten highest-volume stations, providing an overview that serves as part of evaluation in organizing service capacity, boarding gate equipment, and customer assistance at each station.

Currently, the Face Recognition Boarding Gate facility is available at 22 stations, namely Bandung, Bekasi, Cirebon, Cirebon Prujakan, Gambir, Jember, Kiaracondong, Kutoarjo, Lempuyangan, Medan, Malang, Madiun, Pekalongan, Pasarsenen, Purwokerto, Surabaya Pasar Turi, Surabaya Gubeng, Solo Balapan, Semarang Poncol, Semarang Tawang, Tegal, and Yogyakarta.

Evaluation of face recognition utilization will continue to ensure that technology implementation aligns with customer needs and service characteristics at each station. The expansion of digital boarding habits is also part of efforts to create more efficient and paperless travel management.

Anne concluded that millions of face scans generate two key benefits at once: a more practical boarding experience for customers and a sustainable reduction in paper consumption, representing the strategic value of digitalization when its benefits can be felt in every journey.