Malioboro Express Train
The Express Malioboro Train (Kereta Api Malioboro Ekspres) which is well known in the Javanese language as Sepur Malioboro Ekspres is a railway-based mass transportation service for Malang-Yogyakarta city trip. The train managed by PT KAI (Persero) of Daerah Operasi 6 Yogyakarta (Yogyakarta’s Operational Area No. 6) particularly serves the intercity trip by going through Madiun and Blitar city. The main stations are Malang Kotabaru Station and Yogyakarta Tugu Station.
PT KAI (Persero) provides The Express Malioboro Train’s services specifically in a mixed class between Economy AC class – Executive class (First class). The train that has operated since 2012 is recorded to carry 1.600 passengers on average per day and with the frequency of round-trip twice a day. The Express Malioboro Train normally reaches the 390 km distance of an intercity trip with the average speed of 60 – 100 km per hour, makes it capable of reaching the final destination in 7 to 7.5 hours per trip.
With twice round-trips a day, the Express Malioboro Train service is scheduled for morning and night trains. The morning train departs at 08.20 a.m. from Malang and 07.45 a.m. from Yogyakarta. Meanwhile, the night train departs at 08.10 p.m. from Malang and at 08.45 p.m. from Yogyakarta. Specifically, during those trips, the train stops by at these stations: Kepanjen, Wlingi, Blitar, Tulungagung, Kediri, Kertosono, Nganjuk, Madiun, Solo Balapan, and Klaten Station.
The Express Malioboro Train provides the tickets with a variety of prices according to the seating classes. A ticket for the Executive class costs Rp210.000 – Rp250.000 per person. For the Economy class, the ticket costs in a range of Rp140.000 – Rp175.000 per person. More specifically, the mentioned ranged prices above are based on sub-class or the seat positions that the passengers demand, the order time, and the trip duration. For the shorter distance of the train’s route, the tickets are available in a range of Rp105.000 – Rp135.000 per passenger of the Economy class and Rp160.000 – Rp190.000 per passenger of the Executive class.
Interesting Information about Malioboro Express Train
The origin of the name
Since the train is owned by the Operational Area No. 6 of Yogyakarta, it was then named after the most legendary street in that Gudeg city. Malioboro is the most popular street in Yogyakarta and is the icon of the main tourism attraction. As quoted from a popular saying, “one is not really in Yogyakarta unless he/she has visited Malioboro,” we may also say that “one is not really going to Yogyakarta unless he/she has ridden in the Express Malioboro Train.”
The train history
The Express Malioboro Train officially performed its first trip on September 21st 2012 from both of the stations at once (Yogyakarta Tugu Station and Malang Kota Baru Station). The premier trip was inaugurated by Sinung TN as Deputy Head of Operational Area Yogyakarta No. 6 and Bambang Eko Martono as Deputy Head of Surabaya’s Operational Area No. 8, back then. Along with the increasing occupancy, PT KAI (Persero) added more trips to the train’s schedule. Thus, it has been twice a day since January 23rd, 2015. The inauguration of the new schedule served by The Express Malioboro Train II (morning) was conducted by Wiwik Widayanti as a Vice Chairman of Operational Area No. 6, Yogyakarta.
The train series
The special Express Malioboro Train series are pulled by CC201, CC203, CC204, or CC206 Locomotives. The train series consists of one power car, three executive coaches with a capacity of 50 seats for each coach, a dining car and a generator, three to four non-PSO AC Plus Economy coaches with 80 seats per coach, and one luggage car. Therefore, the Express Malioboro Train operates with 390 – 470 passengers per single trip.
