Farmer Trains And Traders Start Operating This Month, Serving Rangkasbitung Cross

Illustration - Farmers Trains and Traders. (Photo: PT. KAI)

JAKARTA - PT Kereta Api Indonesia (Persero) or KAI through its subsidiary KAI Commuter is preparing the concept of operating Farmers and Traders Trains.

The plan, the train service will start operating this month.

KAI Vice President Public Relations Anne Purba said that in the early stages, this concept would be applied in the Banten region as a form of support for the Government's Asta Cita Program in strengthening food security, economic equity, and increasing productivity in the real sector.

The initial stage of operation of the Farmers Train and Traders will be focused on the Rangkasbitung Line, with a service pattern designed so that the loading and unloading process of agricultural products and merchandise can be carried out safely at a number of stations," he said in an official statement, Monday, November 3.

Anne said the Farmers' and Traders' trains will use the existing schedule for the Merak Line Commuter with additional stopping times at several points.

"This program is still in the preparation stage, and we want to ensure that every step is oriented towards public safety and welfare. This innovation is expected to be the first step to strengthen the community's economy through inclusive and productive transportation," he said.

On the other hand, Anne said that based on data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) of Banten Province 2023, there are 609,226 individual agricultural business units in the region. Some farmers still face problems with the distribution of crops to the market, which has an impact on the low selling value of products.

The survey of Commuter Line Merak users also showed 81.23 percent of farmers and traders' passengers support special train services to support their economic activities.

Meanwhile, 6.94 percent of passengers from Serang proposed adjusting the departure time in the morning between 07.00 and 08.00 to match traditional market time.

Throughout January to September 2025, Commuter Line users on the Rangkasbitung Line reached 56,825,669 customers, up 9.9 percent compared to the same period in 2024 of 51,706,637 customers.

"This increase shows the huge economic potential of the Banten community which is supported by rail-based public transportation," he said.

For your information, the Farmer's Train and Traders are rail-based transportation service innovations designed to facilitate the distribution of agricultural products and local trade.

This special train is the work of Balai Yasa Surabaya Gubeng, which was first introduced to the public on August 15, 2025.

Saat itu, Kereta Petani dan Pedagang menjalani uji lintas perdana untuk memastikan aspek keselamatan, keamanan, dan kelayakan operasional sebelum dapat dioperasikan.

Anne menegaskan, aspek keselamatan, keamanan, dan kenyamanan menjadi perhatian utama dalam pengembangan layanan ini.

“Karena itu, KAI melalui KAI Commuter terus berkoordinasi dengan Direktorat Jenderal Perkeretaapian (DJKA) Kementerian Perhubungan guna memastikan kesiapan teknis, operasional, dan keselamatan pelanggan sebelum tahap implementasi dilakukan,” tutup Anne.

At that time, the Farmer Train and Traders underwent their first cross-test to ensure operational safety, security and feasibility aspects before being operational.

Anne emphasized that aspects of safety, security, and comfort are the main concerns in the development of this service.

"Therefore, KAI through the KAI Commuter continues to coordinate with the Directorate General of Railways (DJKA) of the Ministry of Transportation to ensure technical, operational, and customer safety readiness before the implementation stage is carried out," concluded Anne.