Lubuklinggau to Palembang

The return run from Lubuklinggau, in the far west of South Sumatra, to Palembang's Kertapati station takes a little over six hours. Two trains a day cover the full route, one in daylight and one in the evening.

Bukit Serelo is the daytime ekonomi train. It leaves Lubuklinggau mid-morning and reaches Kertapati in the late afternoon, stopping at Tebing Tinggi, Lahat, Muara Enim, Prabumulih and several smaller stations on the way. This is the one to take if you want to see the country: the line drops out of the Barisan foothills past Lahat and the Lematang valley before running across the flat lowlands towards the Musi.

Sindang Marga is the evening service, with bisnis and eksekutif carriages and fewer stops. It leaves Lubuklinggau in the evening and pulls into Kertapati around two in the morning, which is only convenient if you have a bed waiting.

Arriving in Palembang. Kertapati is on the south bank of the Musi, some way from the centre and the Ampera Bridge, so plan onward transport. From Kertapati you can continue south by train to Bandar Lampung for the ferry to Java.

Book in Access by KAI and check the current timetable there, as both trains have been retimed in recent years.