KAI And Deutsche Bahn Establish Strategic Collaboration Support Green Transformation And Digital Sector Of Indonesian Railways

Photo: Doc. PT KAI

PT Kereta Api Indonesia (Persero) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Deutsche Bahn (DB), the German national rail operator, in an effort to strengthen the transformation of the Indonesian railway sector towards a more sustainable and digital direction.

The signing took place at the Jaladara Meeting Room, the Jakarta Railway Center, Jakarta on Wednesday, May 14, and was attended by the President Director of KAI Didiek Hartantyo and a delegation from Deutsche Bahn: Mr. Milind Nirmal and Mr. chance Windolf.

This event became an important milestone in the continuation of the strategic collaboration between the two parties, after previously KAI and Deutsche Bahn established benchmarking initiatives related to ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) in February 2024. The initiative aims to map global best practices in the sustainability and governance of the railway industry.

"Today we affirm our joint commitment to building a railway sector that is not only efficient and modern, but also environmentally friendly and inclusive. Through collaboration with Deutsche Bahn, KAI is determined to be a catalyst in the green transformation of mass transportation in Indonesia," said KAI President Director Didiek Hartantyo.

The signed scope of cooperation includes the development of ESG roadmaps, training and development of sustainable technology, digitizing rail operations, developing public transportation-oriented cities, and reducing carbon emissions. Not only that, collaboration will also include sustainable depot planning and a more efficient fleet maintenance system.

As a concrete form of sustainability commitment, KAI recorded its first ESG achievement last year by scoring 41 from S&P Global.

"This is a proud first step and a positive signal that the direction of our transformation is right," said Didiek.

Several ESG programs that have been implemented by KAI include the installation of Solar Power Plants (PLTS) in 66 operational locations in 2024, the use of environmentally friendly fuels such as biodiesel, as well as the reduction of plastic and paper in daily operations.

Innovation is also an important part of KAI's green agenda. One of them is through the launch of the Carbon Footprint feature in the Access by KAI application at the end of 2024. This feature allows customers to know the carbon footprint of their journey, as well as encourage public awareness of the benefits of choosing environmentally friendly transportation.

This collaboration will also open joint training channels, technology exchanges, to consular support from Deutsche Bahn in terms of transit-based city development (TOD), digital infrastructure management, and noise reduction.

Especially for digitization, this collaboration includes the introduction of Building Information Modelling (BIM) technology, Digital Twin, to an event-driven architecture-based traffic management system. This is expected to boost operational efficiency and reliability of train services both conventional and high-speed.

"This cooperation will not only strengthen KAI's internal capacity, but also provide long-term benefits for the wider community through greener, safer, and integrated transportation services," added Didiek.

Deutsche Bahn through his representative welcomed this synergy and stated their readiness to become KAI's strategic partners in building Indonesia's future transportation system.

Through this collaboration, KAI emphasized its position as the leader of rail-based transportation transformation in Indonesia. With a collaborative approach, KAI not only strengthens corporate competitiveness, but also actively contributes to national sustainable development goals.

The signing of the MoU is expected to be the basis for the birth of a more technical and focused Cooperation Agreement in the nine main areas of cooperation. With the spirit of mutual respect and a harmonious vision, KAI and Deutsche Bahn are optimistic that this collaboration will create long-term value for the business world, society and the environment.

"We are moving into the future with courage and commitment. Together with Deutsche Bahn, KAI is not only building new tracks physically, but also building future rails that connect innovation, sustainability, and shared value for the community and stakeholders," concluded Didiek.