From Semarang

Semarang is the main port city of Central Java and the principal stop on the northern coastal line. Semarang Tawang, its 1914 station, is one of the finest pieces of colonial railway architecture still in daily use anywhere in Asia and was restored and reopened in 2026; many ekonomi services use Semarang Poncol, west of the old town, instead. The city is often skipped by visitors, which is a shame given the restored old town and Lawang Sewu. It also makes a sensible place to break the long Jakarta to Surabaya run into two comfortable halves, the Banyubiru runs inland to Solo in about two hours along the route of Indonesia's first railway, and Jakarta to Malang trains such as the Jayabaya and Matarmaja give a direct link to the East Java highlands.