Sumatra

Sumatra's railways are four separate networks rather than one connected system, a legacy of Dutch-era lines built around specific ports and plantations, and there is no through route from one end of the island to the other. The busiest is around Medan in North Sumatra: airport trains to Kualanamu, the Sri Lelawangsa commuter train west to Binjai, the Sribilah south to Rantau Prapat, the Putri Deli down the east coast to the port of Tanjung Balai, and the Siantar Ekspres inland to Pematangsiantar, the usual rail stepping stone for Lake Toba. Further north a short line runs in Aceh. In West Sumatra, trains link Padang with Minangkabau International Airport and the beach town of Pariaman. In the south, Palembang connects with Lubuklinggau and with Tanjungkarang in Bandar Lampung. Most local services are ekonomi only and cheap; book ahead around weekends and holidays, and cover the gaps between networks by road, ferry or air.