JAKARTA: President Prabowo Subianto has revived plans for a trans-Sumatra rail network, connecting Bakauheni in the southern province of Lampung with Banda Aceh in the island's north, as part of the government's broader push to strengthen national rail connectivity.
Speaking on Thursday during the inauguration of the restored Semarang Tawang train station in the Central Java capital, Prabowo said the government aimed to expand the rail infrastructure beyond Java toward developing a similar network in Kalimantan.
This would involve building "a trans-Sumatra railway from [provincial capital] Bandar Lampung, from the southernmost point in Bakauheni to the northernmost point”, he said.
“After the trans-Sumatra railway, we'll move on to the trans-Kalimantan railway. If possible, we'll start both at the same time," he added.
The President said he wanted state railway operator PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) to grow into a larger, more modern transportation company capable of serving additional regions across the country.
He also emphasized that railway development should prioritize public service rather than commercial returns alone, particularly by expanding access for lower-income communities and residents in smaller towns.
"Railways are a cost-efficient logistics instrument. They benefit the public, especially low-income communities. Railways are an instrument of the people's economy and a true instrument of economic democratization," Prabowo said.
Nor should rail transport focus solely on high-speed trains or high-demand routes between major urban centers if doing so left smaller towns underserved.
"Railways should not be driven solely by profit, but they must be efficient. They must also serve smaller towns. Sometimes there's a dilemma: We want faster trains but in the end, smaller towns are left without service," said Prabowo.
He urged KAI to continue modernizing its operations and investing in technology, while also emphasizing that technological advancement should ultimately improve public services.
The company should increase investment in railway infrastructure, Prabowo continued, including installing more automatic gates at accident-prone level crossings to improve safety.
He added that an expanded rail network would play a strategic role in supporting the national economy by improving regional connectivity, lowering logistics costs and supporting tourism.
While details have yet to be disclosed on the timeline, financing and estimated investment for the projects, the President expressed confidence that continuous infrastructure development would strengthen the country’s long-term economic prospects.
Earlier this month, KAI president director Bobby Rasyidin said the trans-Sumatra railway project was still undergoing a feasibility study for a plan that covered land acquisition, route alignment and phased implementation.
Bobby said Sumatra’s rail network would consist of an eastern and a western corridor, with the eastern route taking priority because it would connect seaports slated to become national logistics hubs.
He said in the initial phase, KAI would prioritize the development of a rail link spanning roughly 380 kilometres connecting Aceh province and Besitang, a coastal district near Ara Bay in North Sumatra’s Langkat regency.
"The network will be designed as a mixed-use system, serving both freight and passenger transport. That way, improved connectivity and regional economic growth can go hand in hand," he said on July 8 in Jakarta, as quoted by Kompas.com.
A trans-Sumatra railway has long been on the government's infrastructure agenda, including during the previous administration of president Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, who proposed a rail network linking Aceh and North Sumatra’s provincial capital Medan and Langkat regency alongside the trans-Sumatra toll road.- Jakarta Post/ANN
