Jakarta. President Prabowo Subianto on Tuesday pledged to expand Indonesia’s railway network beyond the island of Java in a bid to improve interregional connectivity and reduce the country’s high logistics costs.

The expansion will focus on resource-rich regions such as Sumatra, Kalimantan, and Sulawesi, where rail links are expected to help transport agricultural and mineral commodities more efficiently from inland areas to major ports.

“Railways are not only for passengers but primarily for goods and logistics,” Prabowo said at the inauguration of the newly renovated Tanah Abang Station in Jakarta. “We must ensure that palm oil, rubber, coffee, as well as mining products like tin and nickel, can be moved efficiently from the hinterlands to our ports.”

The president stressed that a modern railway network would support an energy-efficient and environmentally friendly logistics system.

“Instead of using too many trucks that damage roads and consume large amounts of fuel, we should rely on electric trains to significantly cut our economic costs,” he said.

Prabowo noted that the new railway projects will form part of his administration’s broader plan to promote equitable development across the archipelago. He has directed the Coordinating Ministry for Infrastructure and Regional Development, along with the Transportation Ministry, to prepare a national railway project roadmap.

He also urged relevant ministries to accelerate implementation so that the benefits can be quickly felt by communities outside Java. “I hope rail services will soon operate in Sulawesi, Kalimantan, and Sumatra,” he said.

Under former president Joko Widodo, Indonesia began building its first railway in Sulawesi, though the project remains limited in scope. Sumatra has long had an existing rail network, but service coverage remains confined to a few key regions.

The planned expansion, if realized, would mark Indonesia’s most ambitious step yet toward creating an integrated national logistics backbone connecting its major islands.

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