Indonesia’s high-speed train Whoosh recorded a significant surge in the number of foreign nationals travelling on the service during the period from January to March 2025.
Over the first three months of 2025, 87,077 foreign tourists have used Indonesia’s first high-speed rail service Whoosh—an increase of 79.9% compared to the same period in the previous year, which saw 48,391 foreign tourists.
Vice President of Public Relations of PT KAI (Kereta Api Indonesia or Indonesian Railways), Anne Purba, stated that this increase highlights the appeal of the Whoosh service not only to local residents but also to international visitors.
“This sharp rise demonstrates that the Whoosh High-Speed Train is not only popular among domestic travellers, but has also become the preferred choice for foreign tourists visiting Indonesia,” said Purba in a written statement on Saturday, the 19th of April.
According to the KAI data, the growth in foreign passengers has been evident since the beginning of the year. In January, 35,881 foreign passengers were recorded—an increase of 167.9% compared to January last year, which saw just 13,387 passengers.
Positive growth continued in February with 35,914 foreign passengers, a 70.8% rise compared to the 21,026 passengers in February last year. In March, the figure reached 15,282 passengers, representing a 9.3% increase from the same month last year, which totalled 13,978 passengers.
In terms of nationality, Malaysian tourists were recorded as the largest group of Whoosh passengers between January and March, followed by visitors from Singapore and China. The high volume of foreign passengers from these three countries aligns with the broader positive trend of tourist arrivals from Southeast Asia and China to Indonesia.
Purba, additionally, noted that this upward trend underscores Whoosh’s position as a superior mode of modern transport as it offers speed, comfort, and convenient access for international travellers.
“With a journey time of around 40 minutes from Jakarta to Bandung, the Whoosh High-Speed Train offers exceptional efficiency for foreign tourists, particularly those on tight schedules who wish to explore more destinations,” she concluded.