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| KAI Pushes Low-Carbon Long-Distance Trains as Travel Demand Soars. |
As travel across Indonesia keeps picking up, PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) is making one thing clear: moving millions of people doesn’t have to mean higher carbon emissions. Through its long-distance train services, KAI is doubling down on energy efficiency and eco-friendly operations to keep transportation greener.
According to KAI, long-distance trains produced a total of 127.3 million kilograms of CO₂ equivalent emissions throughout 2025. During the same period, these services carried more than 47.4 million passengers, highlighting trains as one of the most efficient options for intercity travel.
KAI’s Vice President of Corporate Communication, Anne Purba, explained that this figure reflects how rising mobility can still go hand in hand with carbon emission control. Trains, she said, are built for mass transportation, allowing them to move large numbers of passengers while using energy more efficiently than most road-based options.
To put it into perspective, if each passenger traveled an average of 300 kilometers, total long-distance train activity in 2025 reached about 14.22 billion passenger-kilometers. From that massive scale of movement, total emissions stayed at roughly 127,000 tons of CO₂e for the entire year.
That efficiency becomes even clearer when compared to other transport modes. If all those passengers had used intercity buses, emissions could have jumped to around 386,000 tons of CO₂e. The number would skyrocket even further—up to 2.72 million tons of CO₂e—if everyone relied on private vehicles instead.
“These comparisons show how big an impact transportation choices have on carbon emissions,” Anne said. “With such a large passenger volume, trains help keep emissions far more manageable than other options.”
Looking ahead, KAI plans to keep improving operational efficiency, boost passenger occupancy rates, and strengthen intermodal transport integration. The goal is simple: make long-distance train travel grow without sacrificing sustainability.
With demand for travel continuing to rise, KAI is positioning rail transport as not just a reliable way to get around, but also a smarter, cleaner choice for the future.