State railway tourism train offers different experience for tourists

An officer of state-owned railway operator PT KAI checks the condition of a train car of Argo Parahyangan, serving Jakarta-Bandung route. (tempo.co/Prima Mulia)

PT Kereta Api (KA) Wisata, a subsidiary of state railway operator PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI), offers seven different types of train that target tourists. One of them, named Kereta Wisata Nusantara, features 19-seat train adorned in Indonesian-style interior and is equipped with beds, karaoke, mini bar and toilet.

The company also offers Kereta Wisata Bali, Toraja and Sumatra.
Those who seek to travel on these trains would need to book for the entire car. However, solo travelers can opt for other types of train service, namely Priority and Imperial.
Additionally, each seat on the trains is equipped with a touchscreen monitor and audio and video entertainment.

The Kereta Wisata is scheduled to depart from Jakarta every Friday night and travel to Solo and Yogyakarta. The return trip is every Sunday evening.
“In the future we will open a new route to Surabaya,” said PT KAI president director Totok Suryono.

Tourism Ministry's archipelago tourism marketing development deputy Esthy Reko Astuti said such service offers more option for tourists who are fond of train travel.
“I hope [this service] can encourage tourists to travel not only across the provinces but also between them,” said Esthy, adding that the company should also provide tour packages to boost leisure as well as MICE tourism. (JakartaPost)