The U50 KA Sribilah Malam is an overnight train service plying between Medan and Rantau Prapat, with the least stations called at among all Sribilah train services. The southbound KA Sribilah Malam departs Medan daily at 10.30pm, arriving in Rantau Prapat at 3.49am.
For this short weekend trip, I opted to spend most of my time on trains, so this overnight service offered a time-effective way to ride the almost-full length of the railway in Divre I.
Even though this railway is on Sumatra, the same check-in procedure for long-distance trains applies.
Key in your 6 digit PNR code found on your itinerary on the keyboard provided.
Click on “Print” to check-in.
The boarding pass pops out from a little slot beside the keyboard. Remember not to block it.
My boarding pass for the train ride to Rantau Prapat, and my “hotel” for the night.
Once done, head to the ticket checking counter for the staff to check your boarding pass and allow you to the platform area.
For me, I prefer to check-in just before ticket checking as I only need to immediately get it checked and I can keep it in my bag straightaway.
Getting my boarding pass checked and scanned at the ticket checking counter.
My Sribilah Malam was to depart from Platform 3. You could take the underpass if you want…
But I’d rather just cross the tracks at the designated crossing at the end of the platform.
My Sribilah Eksekutif Coach 1, located right in front of the rake just behind the yet-to-be-attached locomotive.
The interior of my Sribilah Eksekutif Coach 1.
The seat isn’t as impressive as the ones on Java, but still comfortable nonetheless with excellent legroom. I’ve always preferred faux leather seats over fabric ones anyway.
Being a night train, the usual pillow and blanket set are provided for each passenger on Eksekutif.
The generous legroom on the Eksekutif coach.
A slight difference from the Eksekutif coaches on Java, this particular Eksekutif coach seats 52 passengers – 2 more than usual. This is due to the non-existent single seat at the end of the cabin by the borders, with it being replaced by a pair seat. However, tickets are not sold for these 2 extra seats, with the pair seat being labelled as a single seat instead, both on the online system and inside the train.
The interior of Sribilah Eksekutif Coach 2.
The seats on the Sribilah Eksekutif Coach 2 are a bit older with a slimmer headrest. Glad I’m not on this coach for the night.
The route map of the KA Sribilah.
Attached to this train for hotel power is the KMP2 or Kereta Makan Pembangkit 2.
Here’s the Makan part of things with a room for catering staff and a single table with a single seat by the gangway.
Here is the Pembangkit part of things to generate hotel power for the train. Note that while it is really noisy and warm in here, the floor is rather clean with no oil patches around – a vast difference from a certain other company around the region.
And here’s the 2 or Bisnis Class part of things. However, tickets on this coach are not sold. The main function of this coach is just for the Reska caterer and the power generator. This being said, this Bisnis Class area seems to have additional tables to function as the dining area, hmm.
The interior of Bisnis Class.
The pillow and blanket set is not provided for Bisnis passengers. At a fare of Rp. 120,000 for Bisnis and Rp. 150,000 for Eksekutif, I think the small top-up is wise for the night train journey.
Attaching the locomotive to my rake.
My Sribilah Malam train is now ready to depart for Rantau Prapat.
The locomotive sounded the horn at exactly the same time when the time on my phone changed to 22.30. It was to be a precise on-time departure, something that I’m pretty familiar with with PT KAI.
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It was a rather uneventful train journey as I spent my time sleeping and charging my phone. Guess it helped that there was nobody in the seat beside me, so it was a comfortable night on board the train.
The Sribilah Malam arrived at Rantau Prapat at 3.49am sharp.
Most passengers disembarked with their family members or friends already waiting for them outside the station. There were also a bunch of waiting becaks and surprisingly a bus as well, but not too sure where it was bound for.
However, I opted to spend my time waiting at the platform since the departure hall wasn’t open yet and I had to catch the train back to Medan later on anyway. No sightseeing to be done at 4 in the morning.
The train gets pushed back up the platform allow the locomotive to take the escape route to bring the baggage car over to the now-end of the rake.
The exit path from the platform out of the station.
Overall, the KA Sribilah Malam is a time-effective train journey to get between Medan and Rantau Prapat. Comfort-wise, it isn’t as good as the new K10 bogie Eksekutif coaches on Java, but still reasonably comfortable nonetheless. But with me riding the train only to return back to Medan a couple of hours later, Rantau Prapat as a destination didn’t really matter to me.
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