President Prabowo links railway station preservation to tourism growth and national transformation

President Prabowo links railway station preservation to tourism growth and national transformation

President Prabowo Subianto has positioned the nationwide revitalization of railway stations as a strategic initiative to boost tourism and advance Indonesia's broader national transformation, during the inauguration of the restored Semarang Tawang Station in Central Java on Thursday.

The president emphasized that efforts to revitalize hundreds of railway stations across the country should not be underestimated, as they have the potential to become major tourist attractions drawing both domestic and international visitors interested in cultural and heritage tourism.

The ceremony marked the completion of the first phase of restoration at Semarang Tawang Station, a cultural heritage site designed by Dutch architect L.C.L.W. Sloth-Blauwboer and inaugurated on June 1, 1914. The original construction, which began in 1911, was carried out by the Nederlandsch-Indische Maatschappij.

The restoration project was conducted by PT Kereta Api Indonesia Operational Area 4 Semarang over 240 days, from May 5 to December 30, 2025. The work included restoration of the luxury waiting room, VIP room, main hall, and corridors, along with improved drainage systems to address waterlogging and tidal flooding issues that had affected the historic structure.

As a protected cultural heritage site under Minister of Culture and Tourism Regulation No. PM.57/PW007/MKP/2010, the renovations were carried out in accordance with Law No. 11 of 2010 concerning Cultural Heritage, ensuring preservation standards were maintained throughout the project.

The station holds particular historical significance as the departure point for the Bandung-bound Kereta Luar Biasa on September 10, 1945, and as the stopping point for President Soekarno's train during ceasefire negotiations following the Five-Day Battle of Semarang in October 1945.

Located in Semarang Old Town, an area containing around 50 ancient colonial-era buildings that has earned the nickname "Little Netherlands" due to its distinctive European architecture, the station serves as a gateway to the region's heritage tourism offerings.

Tourism sector's economic impact

President Prabowo's emphasis on railway station revitalization aligns with the growing economic significance of Indonesia's tourism sector. According to the World Travel & Tourism Council, the tourism and travel sector is expected to contribute IDR 1,269.8 trillion to the national economy in 2025, representing approximately 5.5 percent of GDP and a 21 percent increase over 2019 pre-pandemic levels.

The sector is forecast to support nearly 14 million jobs in 2025, constituting approximately 9.3 percent of the nation's total workforce, underscoring the employment benefits of tourism development initiatives.

The president called for improvements to station facilities with greater attention to cleanliness, orderliness, and environmental aesthetics as part of a broader vision for national transformation.

We are transforming our image. Indonesia must be clean, sustainable, and beautiful. There should be no litter and no neglected buildings.

Central Java already demonstrates the potential of railway heritage tourism through the Ambarawa Railway Museum, managed by PT Kereta Api Pariwisata. The museum, housed in a station built in 1873, features 21 old steam locomotives and serves as an established heritage tourism destination in the region.

Operational performance

Semarang Tawang Station, classified as a Type A railway station, serves nearly all passenger train services operating through Semarang City. During the first half of 2026, the station recorded strong operational performance, ranking as Indonesia's fourth-busiest railway station with more than 2.15 million passenger departures and arrivals. The station also achieved an on-time departure rate of 99.45 percent.

President Prabowo emphasized that preserving railway stations represents more than maintaining buildings.

Preserving our railway stations means preserving our history. More importantly, it is part of our national transformation across all sectors.

He linked infrastructure preservation to the country's development goals across multiple sectors.