The Makassar–Parepare railway is a railway line in South Sulawesi, Indonesia. This railway will eventually form part of the Trans-Sulawesi Railway from Makassar to Manado, and other lines are planned around the island.
This guide is for the Makassar–Parepare railway, including maps, tickets, timetables, and what to expect onboard.
Makassar–Parepare railway
The first stage of the Makassar–Parepare railway was inaugurated in March 2023. The line currently operates from Mandai to Garongkong, and the rest of the line is expected to be completed by 2026. The total length of the Makassar–Parepare railway is about 142 km.
Makassar–Parepare railway map
This map shows the current stations from Mandai to Garongkong. Bungoro is not showing on the map yet, and future stations that Google has identified are shown in grey.
[Map of Makassar–Parepare railway.]
Links and resources
There isn’t an official website for passengers yet.
There are social media accounts by Balai Pengelola Kereta Api Sulawesi Selatan (South Sulawesi Railway Management Agency):
Facebook: BPKA Sulsel
Instagram: @bpkasulsel
TikTok: @bpkasulsel
YouTube: @bpkasulsel
Wikipedia: Makassar–Parepare railway
Makassar–Parepare timetables
Makassar–Parepare railway timetable as of May 2024. This is for the open section from Mandai to Garongkong.
[Makassar–Parepare railway timetable (view full size).]
Makassar–Parepare tickets
Tickets are available at the station. I arrived 2 hours before the afternoon train because I didn’t know the train times. The tickets were already sold out, so I was sold a “No Seat” ticket (standing-room only).
[Ticket for Mandai to Garongkong.]
The No Seat ticket cost 10,000 IDR ($0.62 USD) for a one-way ticket for the 2-hour ride. I bought both tickets at Mandai, and the return leg was also standing-room only.
Mandai Station
Mandai Station is the current main station of Makassar. This station is near the airport, though it’s not useful for getting to the airport.
There is a bus that goes there, but the bus doesn’t go to the central area of Makassar so it’s easier to get a taxi (I used Grab).
The bus is called Trans Mamminasata and you need the Teman Bus app to buy a ticket. I took the bus on the return journey, and I had to give another passenger money to buy a ticket via their app. The bus goes via the airport, and it was so crowded that I got off and found a taxi at the airport.
[Trans Mamminasata bus at Mandai Station.]
The station is about 20 km from Losari Beach (the waterfront promenade in the city centre of Makassar). It takes about 30 minutes by taxi via the expressway.
Mandai is inconvenient, but there will eventually be a station in Makassar city. The future station of Makassar is 14 km closer to the city. I will post it on the map when the location is known.
[Distances of other stations from Mandai Station.]
The station is in open land, so there are no shops nearby. There is a little kiosk that opens an hour before the train departs.
There is a drink stand in the upstairs section. I got a Kopi Susu (coffee with condensed milk) while waiting for the train.
There are no restaurants here, so come prepared. I met some people who brought a picnic with them (and of course they invited me to eat with them).
It had been just over a year since the railway was inaugurated by President Jokowi, but the railway was still a great novelty for Sulawesians. I previously visited Makassar in 2015, and I wouldn’t have expected to be returning to ride a new railway.
It felt like a festive occasion with so many people taking photos. Maybe everyone in Makassar is waiting their turn to ride the railway. It also occured to me that there are people who have never left the island before, thus they have never seen a train.
I love how Indonesians think nothing of shoving a small child into your hands before taking a group photo.
Onboard the Andalan Celebes
The train is a diesel multiple unit that runs on a standard-gauge railway (1,435 mm).
[KA Andalan Celebes 2 arriving at Mandai.]
Every train service in Indonesia has a service name. The trains on the Makassar–Parepare railway are named KA Andalan Celebes (Celebes was the former name of Sulawesi). Here I am before getting on KA Andalan Celebes 3.
The seats are fixed and padded in 2×2 configuration. They are suitable for this commuter service.
I didn’t have a seat, so I was a straphanger for this journey.
A list of rules for the train ride.
There is a toilet on the train.
It’s a seated toilet (not squat), and it’s in a spacious cubicle.
I was standing near one of the information screens, so I was watching the speed. The fastest speed I saw was 85 km/h.
I was the only foreigner on the train, so I was the subject of many a selfie. I always say yes if someone asks, and I get one of my own in return.
Stations
There are only two trains a day in each direction and not much to do at the stations, so I wasn’t going to get off at a random station to explore. I took some photos of the stations when the train stopped.
[Rammang-Rammang Station.]
The stations have the same design with a big roof shading the platform.
[Labakkang Station.]
All the staff line up at the station when the train departs.
[Ma’rang Station.]
I alighted at the last station at Garongkong. It’s not near a town so there is nowhere to walk to nearby. I didn’t want to miss the last train back so I didn’t stray far.
There are no restaurants here either, but where there are people there is always a bakso bike.
[Garongkong bakso bike.]
Most of the passengers where also just riding the train like I was.
[Garongkong waiting area.]
Things to see and do along the Makassar–Parepare railway
The Makassar–Parepare railway currently operates as a commuter railway connecting Makassar with towns to the north of the city. There isn’t any town on the line that is set up for tourism yet. This is a shame, because there is so much beautiful scenery along the way.
[Scenery on the Makassar–Parepare railway.]
The railway passes through rice farms set among limestone karsts. Some of the scenery reminded me of Vang Vieng in Laos. I wondered if a small town along the line here will have a Vang Vieng transformation. I imagine a scenario where a son or daughter of a farmer comes back from a stint in Jakarta to start a homestay on their family farm.
Further inland on the east side of the railway is the Bantimurung-Bulusaraung National Park. This is the second largest karst landscape in the world (after South China).
Where there is limestone, there is cement factories. There is a spur line that leads to a cement factory, which explains why the passenger tickets are so cheap. There have been calls to expand the park boundary to protect the karst landscapes of South Sulawesi.
A potential tourism spot is at Tanete Rilau. There are some beaches nearby (though don’t expect anything like Bira). North of the station is a great river crossing, and I saw some houses on the river. Further up the river, Bukit Maddo is marked on the map as a recreation area. Further inland there are waterfalls and the starting point for climbing Gunung Kappire (1,100 m).
[River crossing north of Tanete Rilau.]
Most of the passengers were from Makassar doing a joy ride. Eventually though there will have to be things to do for people who want a short break from Makassar. Places like Tanete Rilau would make for a good base to explore inland.
At the moment the railway is only useful for commuters, train nerds, or editors of transport and infrastructure publications (I tick 2 of those 3 boxes).
Future Sulawesi railway
Makassar–Parepare railway forms the first section of the Trans-Sulawesi Railway. This is only a short section, but it’s an important step in improving transport on an island with over 20 million people.
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This train travel review is part of the Southeast Asia railways guide.