PT Kereta Api Indonesia (Persero) Recorded 488,998 Customers Using KA Brantas Throughout 2025
PT Kereta Api Indonesia (Persero) recorded 488,998 customers using KA Brantas throughout 2025. This figure demonstrates consistent public demand for long-distance railway services connecting the western, central, and eastern regions of Java through the Pasar Senen–Semarang–Blitar (round trip) route.
Vice President Corporate Communication KAI Anne Purba said that the performance of KA Brantas reflects the public’s need for scheduled and affordable mass transportation that reaches centers of regional economic and tourism activities.
“KA Brantas serves a long route with diverse passenger characteristics. The upgrade of its rolling stock since October 2024 has further supported consistent comfort for long-distance journeys,” said Anne.
Since October 17, 2024, KA Brantas has been using modified New Generation economy-class coaches with a more ergonomic layout, improved lighting, and an interior designed to support interprovincial journeys. This upgrade is in line with the travel patterns of KA Brantas customers, who travel through many cities within a single journey.
From a regional perspective, the KA Brantas route passes through areas with high population mobility. The Central Statistics Agency (BPS), in its publication “Central Java Province in Figures 2024,” recorded that the northern coast areas of Central Java such as Cirebon, Tegal, Pekalongan, and Semarang are centers of trade, services, and manufacturing that actively drive intercity population movement.
In East Java, cities served by KA Brantas such as Madiun, Kediri, Tulungagung, and Blitar are recorded in the 2024 East Java Tourism Statistics as areas with strong domestic population movement and growing regional economic activity. Direct connectivity with Jakarta and Central Java facilitates mobility for work, family, and social purposes.
The KA Brantas route is also connected to the development of the Batang Integrated Industrial Estate in Central Java. Based on BPS Central Java 2024 data, the area is developing as a new manufacturing center that absorbs workers from various regions. Stations in the Pekalongan and Tegal areas are within an accessible radius of the industrial estate, allowing the KA Brantas route to support worker mobility and industrial-support activities along the northern coast corridor.
From a tourism perspective, the KA Brantas route provides access to various leading destinations. Semarang serves as a hub for historical and culinary tourism in Central Java, while Kediri and Blitar are known for their natural, religious, and historical tourism attractions in East Java. BPS, through “Domestic Tourism Statistics 2024,” recorded that domestic tourist travel continues to be dominated by domestic movement between regions, making railway transportation a relevant mode for supporting land-based tourism mobility.
By serving nearly half a million customers throughout 2025, KA Brantas contributes to facilitating population mobility, strengthening regional connectivity, and driving economic activity in the cities along its route.
“KAI continues to maintain railway services that align with community needs and regional dynamics by strengthening connectivity and travel comfort,” concluded Anne.
VP Corporate Communication KAI
