Flooding on Several Railway Sections Due to Extreme Weather, KAI Prioritizes Safety and Operational Recovery

PT Kereta Api Indonesia (Persero) stated that as of Sunday (18/1), heavy rainfall and extreme weather affecting several areas of Java had disrupted the smooth operation of train journeys. Based on intensive field monitoring, several flooded points were identified as affecting train operations in the Daop 4 Semarang and Daop 1 Jakarta areas. These conditions require special operational arrangements as a safety measure to maintain safe train journeys.

In the Daop 4 Semarang area, flooding occurred on the section between Pekalongan Station and Sragi Station from Km 88+900 to Km 89+100, affecting both the up and down lines. The disruption was triggered by an overflowing river and a breached embankment near the railway line due to high-intensity and prolonged rainfall. Currently, train journeys at the location can only operate on the up line under strict safety measures, including the use of a BB304 locomotive, while awaiting confirmation that the track conditions are safe.

The disruption on the Pekalongan–Sragi section began early Friday (16/1), when flooding started inundating the Pekalongan Station yard and caused a track obstruction. Handling efforts were carried out gradually through the addition of ballast and track lifting. However, heavy rain occurred again on Friday night into early Saturday (17/1), causing the Bermi River to overflow and runoff from the Meduri River, resulting in the railway tracks being inundated by approximately 23 centimeters. On Sunday morning, the situation was worsened by a breached river embankment, which triggered flooding at a new point at Km 89+100. Handling efforts were carried out while contending with natural conditions, including ongoing rainfall and the influence of high tides along the northern coast of Java.

Meanwhile, in the Daop 1 Jakarta area, waterlogging was observed at several operational locations, including the Kampung Bandan Station yard, the Jakarta Kota–Tanjung Priok section, the Jakarta Gudang yard, the Jakarta Kota yard, and the Sungai Lagoa yard. Heavy rain since early morning caused water levels at several points to reach approximately 10 centimeters above the rail head. To ensure travel safety, KAI imposed speed restrictions, installed safety signals, and implemented operational arrangements and adjustments for train journeys and Commuter Line services.

During the period from Friday, January 16 to Sunday, January 18, 2026, a total of 593 intercity train journeys were recorded across Java. Of this total, KAI canceled 82 intercity train journeys, consisting of 21 cancellations on Friday (17/1) and 61 cancellations on Sunday (18/1). In addition, 17 train journeys were operated via a diversion through the Cirebon–Kroya–Yogyakarta–Solo route to avoid flood-affected sections.

During this period, KAI also recorded 76 train journeys experiencing delays, with an average delay of approximately 240 minutes. As of Sunday afternoon, 51 train journeys departing on Friday (17/1) were still en route and had not yet reached their destinations. The longest delay was recorded for KA 260B (KA Tawang Jaya, Pasar Senen–Semarang Poncol route), with a departure delay of 445 minutes, while KA 21A (KA Argo Muria, Semarang Tawang–Gambir route) recorded the longest arrival delay at 484 minutes.

For freight transportation services, KAI canceled 16 freight train journeys, including services on the Kalimas Surabaya–Tanjung Priok route. Meanwhile, for the Jabodetabek Commuter Line service, KAI implemented operational adjustments by canceling some routes as a safety measure.

As of Sunday (18/1) at 08:00 a.m. WIB, the number of canceled Long-Distance Train tickets had reached 8,615 tickets. The cancellations were made by customers following train journey cancellations and operational adjustments due to flooding conditions.

President Director of KAI Bobby Rasyidin emphasized that the conditions were caused by natural factors beyond the company’s operational control or force majeure conditions, making the safety of customers and personnel the top priority in every decision.

“Under extreme weather conditions that cause waterlogging and flooding along the tracks and station yards, KAI takes maximum safety measures, including canceling and adjusting train journeys. All of these decisions are made solely to ensure customer safety and prevent greater risks,” said Bobby.

He also expressed his apologies to all customers for the inconvenience caused and assured that every operational policy was implemented based on comprehensive technical evaluations and actual conditions in the field.

In line with this, Vice President Corporate Communication of KAI Anne Purba explained that KAI was carrying out operational recovery gradually and in an integrated manner through infrastructure repairs at affected locations, adjustments to train operation patterns, preparation of backup facilities and trainsets, as well as journey cancellations under certain conditions for safety reasons.

“Under this force majeure situation, KAI provides a 100 percent ticket fare refund to customers in accordance with applicable provisions. In the field, KAI has also implemented various operational measures, including the use of BB hydraulic locomotives and DJKA’s CC 300 locomotives to pass through flooded areas, resulting in an average additional delay of approximately 150 minutes per journey,” explained Anne.

Anne added that, in addition to short-term response measures, KAI is also strengthening long-term preventive measures through cross-sector coordination with regional governments, technical agencies, and relevant stakeholders so that railway infrastructure is better prepared to face extreme weather in the future.

“We appreciate our customers’ understanding and patience. KAI will continue to regularly provide the public with updates on operational conditions. Once again, we sincerely apologize for the disruption to train journeys caused by the flooding,” concluded Anne.

VP Corporate Communication KAI