Purwokerto to Semarang

Roughly 244km from Purwokerto to Semarang Tawang. Trains head north out of the Banyumas basin and climb through the hills around Bumiayu, on the western flank of Mount Slamet, to Prupuk, then join the north coast line and run east through Tegal, Pemalang, Pekalongan and Weleri into Semarang.

Which trains run this route: the Kamandaka is the dedicated service, with eksekutif and new-generation ekonomi carriages, taking around four to four and a half hours. The first departure leaves Purwokerto early in the morning, and a second Kamandaka starts further back at Cilacap on the south coast and picks up at Purwokerto on its way to Semarang. Trains call at Semarang Poncol before terminating at Tawang. The Joglosemarkerto, which loops round Central Java via Purwokerto, Yogyakarta and Solo, also links the two cities.

The scenery: the best part comes first. The run up the valley past Bumiayu, with Slamet on the right-hand side on a clear morning, is the reason to ride in daylight; after Prupuk it is flat coastal country of rice fields and fishponds.

Tawang or Poncol? Tawang is the grand 1914 station on the edge of the old town and the better stop for most visitors; Poncol, a little further west, is handy for the western side of the city. Both are a short taxi ride from Simpang Lima.

Check current departures and fares in Access by KAI. For the opposite direction, see Semarang to Purwokerto; for the capital, see Purwokerto to Jakarta.