From Work to Leisure, KAI Customers Travel Needs Continue to Evolve

Some customers take the train every morning to get to work, students travel to campus, traders carry their goods, while families choose trains for their holidays. Their destinations may be different, but they all need journeys that are safe, comfortable, and easy to access.

As KAI approaches its 81st anniversary on September 28, 2026, PT Kereta Api Indonesia (Persero) continues to develop its services in line with changing travel needs. From intercity and local train services, the KAI Group ecosystem now covers urban mobility, airport access, high-speed rail, and tourism travel.

Vice President of Corporate Communication KAI Anne Purba explained that the development of railway services goes hand in hand with changes in people’s daily activities. While trains were once mainly used to travel to other cities or return to hometowns, they have now become part of everyday life, including commuting to work or school, trading, and spending time with family.

This changing travel pattern is reflected in KAI Group’s performance from January to August 2026, which reached 351.602.397 customers, up 7.09% from 328.311.868 customers in the same period in 2025.

The largest contribution came from KAI Commuter, which served 277.272.682 customers, an increase of 6.32% from 260.797.109 customers in January–August 2025. Meanwhile, Long-Distance and Local Train services operated by KAI recorded 40.379.062 customers, growing 8.69% from 37.152.345 customers in the same period a year earlier.

Urban mobility also continued to grow through LRT Jabodebek, which served 21.809.797 customers, up 19.05% from 18.320.610 customers in January–August 2025.

The high use of commuter and LRT services highlights the role of mass transportation in supporting daily activities in urban areas. One example is the Bogor Line, which recorded 105.704.913 customers from January to August 2026, with an average of around 435,000 customers per day.

This growth has also become a consideration for KAI in improving service capacity and facilities, including the development of platforms at Bogor Station to support the operation of SF12 train formations.

Rail-based travel is also becoming more diverse beyond daily mobility. Whoosh served 4.078.168 customers from January to August 2026, an increase of 0.68% from 4.050.791 customers in the same period in 2025.

Meanwhile, KAI Bandara recorded 4.647.947 customers, up 0.19% from 4.639.062 customers. In South Sumatra, LRT Sumsel served 2.965.997 customers, while KA Makassar–Parepare served 231.764 customers, growing 13.13% from 204.856 customers in the same period a year earlier.

For tourism travel, services managed by KAI Wisata recorded 216.980 customers, an increase of 49.09% from 145.537 customers throughout January–August 2025.

Anne explained that each service has different customer characteristics and travel needs. Commuter services require frequency and punctuality, intercity trains provide travel options between regions, while tourism trains offer a more personalized travel experience. KAI Group therefore continues to develop its services to better match these different needs.

More specific travel options have also been introduced. One of them is Kereta Ekonomi Kerakyatan, which served 182.208 customers from its introduction in 2026 through September 9, 2026. This total comprised 181.900 customers using K3 Kerakyatan and 308 customers using Kereta Petani dan Pedagang long-distance services on the Garut–Pasar Senen and Pasar Senen–Garut routes.

In Banten, Kereta Petani dan Pedagang on the Merak–Rangkasbitung route served 43.780 customers from December 1, 2025, through September 14, 2026. With a fare of IDR 3,000 per trip, the service supports people traveling for work, trade, and everyday activities.

The way people travel is also changing with the growing use of digital technology. While customers once had to visit station ticket counters for information and ticket purchases, various travel needs can now be managed through Access by KAI.

During the first half of 2026, Access by KAI recorded 17.009.374 ticket sales transactions for Main and Local Train services, accounting for 76.34% of the total 22.281.645 transactions made through all sales channels.

In terms of ticket volume, Access by KAI handled the purchase of 24.544.468 tickets, or 73.68% of the total 33.313.364 Main and Local Train tickets sold during the period.

As of June 30, 2026, Access by KAI had 30.449.049 registered users, with 3.154.132 users added during the first half of 2026. The number of users active within the previous 30 days reached 9.058.935, while cumulative downloads reached 41.011.320. A total of 4.893.743 users had also become premium members, equivalent to 16.07% of registered users.

According to Anne, these developments reflect how the customer experience has changed, from planning a journey to accessing services after purchasing a ticket.

Through Access by KAI, customers can check schedules, purchase and manage tickets, use e-boarding passes, access Trip Planner, and receive travel information through Live Tracking.

Digital convenience is also available through the Face Recognition Boarding Gate, which was used by 5.555.034 Long-Distance Train customers during the first half of 2026. The facility allows customers who have registered and provided consent to complete the boarding process through facial recognition.

As KAI approaches its 81st anniversary, the company continues to see changing travel habits as part of the evolution of its services. From affordable access and easier connections between services to increasingly practical digital experiences, service development continues to focus on making customers’ journeys easier.

Ahead of its 81st anniversary, KAI also invites the public to remain part of the company’s journey through their trust, feedback, and experiences using railway services.

For 81 years, railways have accompanied the journeys of people across Indonesia. KAI will continue to improve its services so that more people can enjoy rail transportation that meets their needs and delivers an increasingly better travel experience.