KAI’s PSO Services Help Keep Train Travel Affordable for the Public

Train journeys serve different purposes in people’s lives. Some passengers travel to work or attend university, while others use trains to run businesses, access healthcare, or visit family in other cities. To help keep these journeys affordable, the government provides support through the Public Service Obligation (PSO) scheme.

Under this scheme, the government assigns operators to provide economy-class train services at government-regulated fares. The support gives the public access to more affordable rail travel in accordance with applicable regulations. For PT Kereta Api Indonesia (Persero), or KAI, PSO is part of its role in meeting the mobility needs of people with different economic backgrounds and travel purposes.

KAI Vice President of Corporate Communication Anne Purba explained that PSO helps people continue travelling to meet their everyday needs. Affordable fares can help passengers manage their travel expenses, whether they are commuting to work, pursuing education, running a business, accessing healthcare, or visiting family.

This benefit is reflected in the use of KAI’s PSO-supported long-distance and local train services. According to KAI’s commercial performance data for January–September 2026, these two service groups carried 14,164,401 passengers, an increase of approximately 7.7% from 13,155,181 passengers in the same period in 2025.

PSO-supported long-distance trains served 8,862,107 passengers, up approximately 4.0% from 8,517,769 passengers in January–September 2025. Meanwhile, local PSO trains carried 5,302,294 passengers, an increase of approximately 14.3% from 4,637,412 passengers in the same period a year earlier.

According to Anne, these figures reflect public demand for affordable economy-class train services for both intercity journeys and regional mobility. Passengers have different needs: some travel long distances to return to their hometowns or pursue work and education opportunities, while others rely on local trains as part of their daily routines. These services give people more options to plan their journeys according to their needs and budgets.

Several long-distance economy trains operating under the PSO scheme include KA Airlangga on the Pasar Senen–Surabaya Pasarturi route, KA Bengawan on the Pasar Senen–Purwosari route, KA Kahuripan on the Kiaracondong–Blitar route, and KA Sri Tanjung on the Lempuyangan–Ketapang route. Other PSO-supported economy services, such as KA Serayu, also help connect communities across different cities and regions.

These routes serve areas with diverse needs. Passengers can use the services to seek employment, continue their education, run businesses, or meet family commitments, depending on the available schedules and routes.

For local travel, PSO helps connect residential areas with community activity centres. Local trains provide an option for reaching workplaces, markets, schools, and public services along their routes.

Anne emphasised that the benefits of PSO extend beyond affordable fares to include service continuity. Government support goes hand in hand with the operator’s responsibility to maintain train readiness, travel safety, and service quality in line with applicable standards. KAI therefore continues to fulfil its assigned responsibilities, manage operations, and maintain its rolling stock to ensure that services remain safe, reliable, and sustainable.

The PSO scheme is implemented through cooperation between the government, represented by the Directorate General of Railways under the Ministry of Transportation, and railway operators. It enables fare policies to support public service needs while ensuring that operations continue to meet applicable safety standards and regulations.

Anne also highlighted the role of public transportation in expanding access to opportunities. When travel costs are more manageable, people have greater flexibility to allocate their budgets to other needs while maintaining connections with family members and economic activities across regions.

KAI hopes that its PSO-supported train services will continue to help people meet their everyday mobility needs. By offering affordable travel options while maintaining safety and reliability, rail services can help communities carry out their daily activities and access more opportunities.