Ahead of Eid, KAI: 1 Million Train Tickets Still Available
PT Kereta Api Indonesia (Persero) or KAI recorded positive ticket sales trends for the 2026 Eid transportation, in line with increasing public mobility ahead of Idul Fitri. KAI Vice President of Corporate Communication Anne Purba stated that tickets sold up to 10:00 WIB on 18 March 2026 reached 3,483,469 tickets or 77.4 percent of the total 4,498,696 seats provided for long-distance and local train services during the period from 11 March to 1 April 2026.
“With this achievement, approximately 1,015,227 seats are still available for the public to utilise,” said Anne in a written statement in Jakarta on Wednesday (18/3/2026).
Anne said this increase in sales shows that the public is beginning to utilise trains as the primary choice for early mudik. She noted that the trend of mudik travel by train has been strengthening since mid-March.
“This is evident from the gradual increase in ticket sales, particularly for long-distance train services which are the public’s choice for inter-city travel,” Anne continued.
For long-distance train services, she added, ticket sales have reached 3,141,282 tickets or 87.9 percent of the total 3,571,760 seats provided. This means around 430,478 seats are still available for the public to book for mudik or return trips.
Meanwhile, for local train services managed by KAI, ticket sales were recorded at 342,187 tickets or 36.9 percent of the total 926,936 seats available. Thus, approximately 584,749 seats remain available for customers.
“Local train ticket sales will generally continue to move closer to the departure date as most services can only be booked from H-7,” Anne explained.
During the first seven days of the Eid transportation period, from 11 to 17 March 2026, long-distance train services have served 1,125,378 customers across various routes on Java and Sumatra. This figure indicates that the mudik flow is forming earlier and continues to increase day by day.
“For 18 March 2026, customer movement is estimated to remain high. Up to the morning, there are around 188,678 long-distance train customers scheduled to travel, with a temporary occupancy rate of 115.4 percent,” Anne added.
She conveyed that this number still has the potential to increase along with ongoing ticket sales. Anne added that an occupancy rate above 100 percent is possible in long-distance train operations due to dynamic travel patterns within one train set.
“In one long-distance train journey, one seat can be used by more than one customer on different routes. This scheme allows the number of customers served to be greater than the number of seats available in one travel segment,” Anne continued.
Several trains with high demand during the 2026 Eid transportation period include KA Airlangga, KA Joglosemarkerto, KA Sri Tanjung, KA Bengawan, KA Kahuripan, and KA Rajabasa. Nevertheless, the public still has opportunities to obtain tickets for certain trips, including through alternative routes, different departure schedules, or onward travel schemes.
“KAI also urges customers to utilise connecting train services and choose more flexible travel dates to increase the chances of obtaining tickets,” said Anne.
With the still substantial capacity availability, Anne invites the public to immediately plan their Eid travels well so that mudik proceeds more comfortably, smoothly, and enjoyably by train.