The CHEAPEST TRAIN I've Ever Been On!

Hello and welcome back to Indonesia, where we'll be checking out a very unique 'train' today!

The Batara Kresna Railbus runs between Solo City and Wonogirl in Central Java, and combines stunning scenery and exciting on-street running... so let's go and check it out together!

Date of Filming: 19/10/23
Camera: GoPro Hero 12 Black
Operator: KAI (Indonesian Railways)
Departure: Wonogiri, Indonesia
Arrival: Solo City, Indonesia
Cost: 4,000 Indonesian Rupiah (£0.20, €0.24, $0.26)

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00:00 - Intro
00:58 - Wonogiri & Station
02:05 - Boarding
03:08 - Route Map
03:32 - Departure & Priving
04:26 - Seat Tour!
05:18 - #TrainWindowViews
06:04 - Stations Along the Way
06:58 - Train Info
07:40 - Solo City Suburbs
08:38 - On-Street Running!
10:06 - Trip Summary
10:52 - Arrival at Solo Purwosari
11:20 - Outro

[Cybertech-]

Fyi: Many Indonesian Station and Railroad are Dutch Heritage that's why the platform kinda lower just like in Europe and many stations in Indonesia get modernized but the old station will never be destroyed cuz it's a history heritage

[shrikesari]

As an Indian, I am mighty impressed by Indonesian trains! We have a huge rail network in India however it is all done alike in wave of modernisation. Indonesia, consisting of many islands, treats different rail network portions differently. It adds character. Kudos Indonesia! And congrats on your high speed rail!

[gameznunux]

As a Thai, i am really impressed to Indonesian Rail Network, they have High Speed Trains and now this unique train. Someday i will go to Indonesia and will try one of this train.

[mugnillabibnur]

You're lucky to have ride this route, now the Purwosari - Wonogiri rail is being upgraded to R54 rail and the iron tie will be replaced with concret tie. So that later the train will be able to run up to 80 km/h. And the rolling stock will also be replaced

[fivetwenty]

It looks like you are the first foreign transportation YouTuber to ever ride the Batara Kresna train. You should go to the Indonesian Railway Museum in the small town of Ambarawa😊. I'm sure you'll go there.

[SanchitPriyadarshi]

9:27 "But for a really cheap, authentic railway experience, I had an absolute blast!" - this single line, the journey through a place which the world isn't talking about and that feeling of being in the moment... really take my heart. You're were truly successful in making me feel to experience it myself.

[Nibihnova]

Never expected to see this one, almost nobody covers this!! The price is similar to the KRL Commuter line, so the minimal service and facilities inside is similar as well.

You mentioned it feeling a bit dangerous, we'll that's what Indonesian traffic is always like haha. It was involved in a truck collision this December, thankfully no one got hurt

[NickBurman]

The Wonogiri - Solo lines is the last of the inumerable "stoomtram" (steam tramway) lines which once blanketed the Javanese countryside, especially in central Java. These local lines used a mix of street, roadside and private rights of way to connect villages to the mainline railway. Alas road competition and lack of maintenance did most of these lines in, leaving only the Solo branch.

[iNTERnazionaleNotizia]

Btw, I lived in Merseyside for more than a year, and I'm also impressed with railways system in the UK, because the private companies also run the service (I remembered Avanti, Virgin, Northern)
Thanks for reviewing the of my hometown's train,
I hope that one day our railways system will be as great as your country's and
I miss UK and will be there again soon

[edwardmiessner]

As a US American I appreciate this calm railway journey through this lovely countryside and city center. Indonesia's town and country really have character as opposed to the US where everything save for hostoric cities, towns and villages seems to have been quickly built in the same bland style for the past 80 years.

[Jeand_Bt]

Just a little information about this line : Purwosari-Wonogiri was built by local tramway named Solosche Tramweg Maatschappij as part of Solo-Baturetno line construction, they operated local tram using horse as locomotive. But since their horses were dead due to disease outbreak, they replaced horse with an steam locomotive. Not quite a long, this company was acquired by Nederlandsch-Indische Spoorweg (NIS) due to financial difficulties. After the Independence of Indonesia (around 1970s), the line between Wonogiri to Baturetno was demolished for the construction of Gajahmungkur dam. The rest of line still used today which described in your video.

[natanhh]

BTW the rail from Solokota to Wonogiri is now being upgraded, so the train can go faster (up to 80 km/h) and they can add more trip (hopefully)

[mohammadrifqisatriamas]

Back in the day, this route is much longer, upward to baturetno, so previous line was Solo - Sukoharjo - Wonogiri - and Baturetno. But because of building of Gajahmungkur dam, the line got shorter thus end of the line is Wonogiri station

[igorsiuda]

In Poland, there's a railbus route between Parczew and Lublin, operated by PESAs. These trains run via closest larger town to my mom's village (Sobolew, not the city in Masovian), Lubartów, using the line, which was closed in 2000 and reopened partially between 2014 and 2017, as between these years, there was only cargo traffic here. Also, in Czechia, the railbus routes are very common here, but Petr from Prague (owner of Pete Brandy channel) would say more about them, as these are served by class 870 railbuses or modernised RegioNovas.

[renaldi]

i ride this 2 weeks ago, it was fun. came from jakarta only for this train. totally worth it

[michaeljohndennis]

There are a few of these rail lines around the world - on the Rosslare to Dublin rail line for example, the line passes through Wexford Town and the trains pass through at a snails pace 🇮🇪☘️🇮🇪❤️

[mobyhuge]

10:13 there is a very unique trip you can make in Indonesia as you can go from Bandung to Bogor through Jakarta (a 200 or so kilometer journey) by train for a total of ≥15.000 rupiah (2 local train journies albeit both use the same trainset just with a different name once you reach Purwakarta station then connect to the Jakarta commuter network in Cikarang)

[dw]

Delightful change of pace, thank you. 👍A pity there are only two trips per day (and that a school party can fully book a service!), but I guess the more they run the more money they lose...

[Titot]

Spiffing great video! I was born not too far away from Solo. I still remember in my youth going back to Central Java, day trip to Solo from Jogja or Boyolali to occasionally see the ekonomi class carraiges being hauled by the diesel locos. It'll charge down the street with that presence and determination of "oi mate, I'm a train, get out of my way!"

Now, imagine a Class 37 charging down the tramways of Croydon doing the same thing! How did you like Central Java?

[faisalfahregi]

When you come to Indonesia again, I Recommend you to try the trains on the islands of Sumatra and Sulawesi They also have a train network and if you try to travel to Sumatra you will meet the longest coal train in Indonesia, they call it the BABARANJANG train