From Lempuyangan to Garut, People’s Economy Trains Become the Mainstay for Over 103,000 Passengers

Taking an economy train is no longer synonymous with narrow seats and sitting facing away from the direction of travel. Thanks to the skilled hands of railway workers at Balai Yasa Manggarai, the face of economy-class trains is gradually changing-and the public has welcomed it enthusiastically. Proof of this is that since its introduction during the Lebaran Transport period until 26 July 2026, the service named People’s Economy Train has carried 103,848 passengers to their respective destinations.

The concept is simple yet impactful: the interior is refreshed, seating is rearranged, and seats can now be adjusted to face the direction of the train’s journey. As a result, passengers enjoy a more comfortable seating position and more spacious legroom, without sacrificing the service capacity that is essential for public transportation.

Currently, the People’s Economy Train operates on the Cikuray train route with the Garut - Pasarsenen round trip. Since officially serving this route from 11 June until 26 July 2026, a total of 79,450 passengers have experienced its new comfort - 32,145 travelling from Garut to Pasarsenen, and 47,305 in the opposite direction.

These figures are not just statistics. The Garut-Pasarsenen route passes through high-mobility areas such as Bandung, Purwakarta, Bekasi, and Jakarta, making the Cikuray train a vital artery of daily travel-whether for commuting to work, attending university, trading, going on holiday, or simply returning home to meet family, all at an affordable cost.

Before serving Cikuray passengers, the People’s Economy Train was first trialled on additional train services on the Lempuyangan-Pasarsenen round trip during the 2026 Lebaran Transport period, specifically from 11 March to 5 April. The trial period was considered successful, with 24,398 passengers using the service-almost evenly split between both directions.

Vice President Corporate Communication of KAI, Anne Purba, explained that this development was born from directly listening to customer feedback, who want travel that is both affordable and comfortable. According to her, the continuously growing utilisation figures serve as important evaluation material for the company to further refine economy-class services in the future, ensuring that every improvement truly benefits the wider community.

Anne added that going forward, the company will continue monitoring travel patterns, occupancy rates, and passenger experiences onboard as a basis for further rolling stock development. For her, affordable fares and good service quality are not two things that must be chosen between—both must go hand in hand, so that train travel remains an intercity transport option close to the hearts of the people.