Kertapati (Palembang) to Lubuk Linggau is one of the main passenger rail routes of South Sumatra. This is a review of train service KA Bukit Serelo from Palembang to Lubuk Linggau.
I have previously been to Palembang to take the train from Palembang to Bandar Lampung. Like the Bandar Lampung service, the service to Lubuk Linggau is on a railway that was built primarily to extract coal from the coalfields of South Sumatra.
Booking tickets for the Palembang – Lubuk Linggau train
I booked tickets online as the service books out weeks in advance. Kertapati is the station name of Palembang. This is useful to know if you are booking online, as the search may not show Palembang.
There is only one service class, and the tickets are cheap (even by Indonesian standards). The ticket cost 32,000 IDR, which is about 2 USD. Yes, two dollars for a 7 h 15 m train ride.
I tried booking on the official KAI website, but it’s a terrible user experience for English speakers. I found it easier to book via tiket.com.
Kertapati Station (Palembang)
I got a Grab taxi to Kertapati. There is a light rail in Palembang, but unfortunately it doesn’t go to the train station.
[Kertapati Station (Palembang).]
You can buy tickets here, though you are advised to book in advance for this service.
When you arrive at the station there is a check-in kiosk, so you can claim a paper ticket here when you check in.
There are not enough train services during the day for permanent shops and restaurants at the station. What is frustrating though is that there are 5 little convenience shops that open when the trains are running, and they are all selling the same thing.
With no cafe to linger in, I wandered around the station. There is a scale model of the station that shows the coal storage facilities around the station.
There is another waiting room where passengers are held until it’s time to board. The platform is clearly marked where to go.
The platform shows what the destination is, and I like how in Indonesia that they show the distance to the destination. Kertapati to Lubuk Linggau is 306 km.
KA Bukit Serelo
Indonesian trains have unique names for each service. This service is called KA Bukit Serelo.
KA Bukit Serelo departs Kertapati (KPT) at 9:00 and arrives at Lubuk Linggau (LLG) 16:15. The total travel time is 7 h 15 m, averaging 42.2 km/h.
I’ve noticed that the trains are not aligned with the platforms in Sumatra, so steps are placed in front of the doors.
Trains are hauled with diesel locomotives.
There is a route map inside the train that shows the stops along the way.
The economy seats are bench seats in 2×3 configuration. The carriages are air-conditioned, and it was a comfortable temperature for the entire trip.
The seats have a power outlet by the window. There is no wifi onboard.
There is a basic food service onboard with a train worker selling packs of nasi goreng (fried rice).
Nasi goreng is a simple and easy meal to eat onboard.
Snacks are also on sale throughout the day.
Instant coffee is also sold onboard.
There are toilets onboard (seat and squat).
Indonesia is a land of smokers, but at least there is no smoking onboard. People would go out for a smoke break at some of the longer stops at trains stations.
[Having a smoke next to an oil tanker.]
Most of the route is double-tracked, so the train doesn’t have to stop to let other trains pass.
This railway is built for coal, and this is evident by the amount of freight trains laden with coal heading towards the port in Palembang.
Most of the route is through forests or farmland. You don’t see any of the coal mines from the train, but if you look on Google satellite view you can see the scars from the mining.
One mountain that caught my attention was Bukit Jempol. This mountain with its distinct pointy pinnacle is a tourism highlight of this region, yet I didn’t know about it until I saw it here.
There is also rows upon rows of palm oil plantations along the way.
It was nice to see a occasional farm house with more variety of trees.
There are some great river crossings along the way. I looked for rivers on Google Maps so I could be ready for potential scenic crossings.
It was a grind to be sitting upright for over 7 hours without being able to recline the seat, but at least they are padded seats. I also remind myself of the terrible bus trips I’ve taken in Sumatra, so getting the train is a much better option.
Lubuk Linggau Station
The train arrived early at Lubuk Linggau, so that was a bonus. The platform at Lubuk Linggau is very narrow, and there are also steps to get down.
The train was full the entire way, with people getting off and on throughout the day. I was the only westerner onboard, and I saw very few people that looked like tourists. I saw some local backpackers get on near Bukit Jempol who got off at Lubuk Linggau. I looked up Bukit Jempol later on and discovered it’s a popular mountain to climb.
[Local backpackers exiting Lubuk Linggau.]
Lubuklinggau Station is in the middle of the city, so that was an added bonus. I could have walked to my hotel (about 20 minutes by foot), but I got a motorcycle taxi for 20,000 IDR ($1.25 USD).
As for Lubuk Linggau, there’s not much to do here and it’s not really useful for onward travel. In this case, I went because it was there. I spent a day here to have a look around, and then I got a shared car to Bengkulu. This trip involved crossing the spectacular Bengkulu mountain range. Seeing the mountain range also helped explain why the railway hasn’t been extended to the coast.
Overall this was an interesting way to see another part of Sumatra. The train is certainly a better option for locals than getting a bus on the same route, but I am concerned about how slow it is if they want to build out a Trans-Sumatra Railway. There will need to be faster trains for a North-South island railway to work.
At the moment there are fragmented services in different regions of Sumatra, so it will be years until there is a unified railway. Read more about the railways of Sumatra.
This train travel review is part of my Southeast Asia railways guide.
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