It now takes only an hour to link Java cultural capital of Yogyakarta to the nearby historical city of Solo, located 60 km from each other. A new railbus service started services last week between both cities…
YOGYAKARTA- The Batara Kresna railbus between Yogyakarta and Surakarta (Solo), Central Java, has been launched after a two-and-a-half month delay on August 13. It will then compete with local trains linking both cities located 60 km apart from each other.
The railbus, which currently runs between the cities twice a day, was launched on Monday — just in time for the Idul Fitri peak travel season which will mark the celebration at the end of the Ramadan month. The launch of Batara Kresna will complement the link offered by Indonesia National Rail Services which propose up to 16 services per day.
The railbus is a very light-weight passenger rail vehicle that has four wheels on a fixed base, instead of on bogies. The railbus is 40 meters long and has a passenger capacity of 156. The fare is more expensive than the one on the train at Rp 20,000- twice the price of a current train ticket- but it offers more comfort such as air-conditioning and a better service as it stops in the heart of Solo. Authorities hope that the railbus will help reducing congestion on the highway linking Yogyakarta to Solo.
The new service will help providing easy access to Solo during the 30th annual conference of the Federation for Asian Culture Promotion (FACP), which will be held in Solo from September 6 to 9. Some 500 participants from Asia Pacific countries including Indonesia, China, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Australia, Korea and Japan are expected to take part in the conference, which will also be attended by delegates from other continents including the US, the UK, Georgia and Canada. The FACP focuses on activities and efforts to preserve art and cultural performances in the Asia Pacific region.
Luc Citrinot a French national is a freelance journalist and consultant in tourism and air transport with over 20 years experience. Based in Paris and Bangkok, he works for various travel and air transport trade publications in Europe and Asia.
![[PR] PR_Ascott and Vimut Hospital_2024](https://www.traveldailynews.asia/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/PR-PR_Ascott-and-Vimut-Hospital_2024-400x265.jpg)
