Malang to Solo

Roughly 310km from Malang to Solo, taking about five to six hours. Westbound trains leave Malang heading south rather than north, calling at Malang Kotalama and Kepanjen before running down through Wlingi, Blitar, Tulungagung and Kediri, rejoining the southern main line at Kertosono and continuing via Madiun into Central Java.

Which trains run this route: the Malioboro Ekspres and the Kertanegara both run from Malang to Purwokerto via Solo Balapan and Yogyakarta, with eksekutif and ekonomi carriages. Gajayana, the eksekutif train to Jakarta, also stops at Solo Balapan. The Jakarta-bound Matarmaja, Majapahit and Brawijaya take the line north from Solo towards Semarang and call at Solo Jebres instead, north-east of the centre.

Why take it: the usual visitor loop pairs Bromo, reached from Malang, with the temples and palaces of Central Java. Going direct to Solo skips Surabaya entirely, and Solo puts you within easy reach of Prambanan and, by the commuter line, Yogyakarta.

The scenery is rural rather than dramatic: rice fields, sugar cane and, on a clear morning, Mount Kelud and the Kawi range rising to the north of the line. Check current departures and fares in Access by KAI. For the opposite direction, see Solo to Malang; if you are going on to Yogyakarta, see Malang to Yogyakarta.