Five Stations in the City and Port Areas Record Nearly 12 Million Customer Activities
Train travel and sea transportation are becoming increasingly connected across various regions of Indonesia. From January to September 2026, five stations located in cities and port areas, namely Tanjung Priok, Semarang Tawang, Surabaya Pasar Turi, Merak, and Ketapang, recorded nearly 12 million customer activities. This figure highlights the high mobility of people using trains to support intercity and inter-island travel.
Tanjung Priok Station recorded the highest customer activity, with 4,311,585 gate-in and gate-out activities. It was followed by Semarang Tawang Station with 3,329,748 boarding and alighting activities, Surabaya Pasar Turi with 2,789,112, Merak with 940,794, and Ketapang with 615,161 activities. The data is calculated based on each operator's respective system, reflecting the high volume of passenger movement at each station.
KAI Vice President of Corporate Communication Anne Purba said that each station plays a distinct role in connecting train journeys with sea transportation.
“In several cities, customers’ journeys do not end when they get off the train. Some continue their journeys by ship, while others begin their journeys at ports and continue by train. Nearly 12 million activities demonstrate how important intermodal connectivity is for the public,” Anne said.
This connectivity can be seen at Merak Station, which provides access to Merak Port for crossings between Java and Sumatra. Ketapang Station is also located near Ketapang Port, the gateway for crossings to Bali. Meanwhile, Tanjung Priok Station serves an area close to the passenger ship terminals at Tanjung Priok Port. Previously, KAI recorded 3.88 million customer activities at these three stations during the first half of 2026.
In urban areas, Semarang Tawang Station and Surabaya Pasar Turi Station also serve as gateways for train passengers exploring Semarang and Surabaya, including journeys to the Tanjung Emas and Tanjung Perak port areas. To reach the ports, passengers can continue their journeys using available land transportation in each city.
Sea transportation activity in both cities is also relatively high. Statistics Indonesia (BPS) data shows that from January to August 2026, Tanjung Priok Port served approximately 422,947 arriving and departing passengers, while Tanjung Perak Port served approximately 1.51 million passengers.
According to Anne, the high level of activity at stations and ports presents an opportunity to provide more practical and comfortable journeys. Information about onward transportation, station access, the availability of connecting transport, and the convenience of carrying luggage are important factors to consider when customers switch between transportation modes.
KAI continues to recognize the potential of land and sea travel as an important part of public mobility that needs to be developed, particularly ahead of holiday periods when inter-island travel tends to increase. Each station has different characteristics, so connectivity needs to be tailored to the distance to the port, customer travel patterns, and available onward transportation options.
“The most important thing is that customers can plan their journeys more easily from the start, including knowing their transportation options after getting off the train. When intermodal connections become clearer, intercity and inter-island journeys can be more practical and comfortable,” Anne concluded.