By Friday Morning, Gambir Station Records 17,231 Departing Homecomers

By 08:00 WIB on Friday (20/3), PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) recorded 17,231 homecomers departing from Gambir Station. These homecomers are heading to several favourite destinations, such as Semarang, Tawang, Yogyakarta, Purwokerto, Cirebon, and Bandung. The Head of Gambir Major Station, Ganjar Mairizal, stated that the trend in ticket purchases for this year’s homecoming is selling out faster than on normal days. Ticket purchases are concentrated on favourite dates from H-3 to H-1, while tickets for alternative dates are still available. “For flagship trains and executive class, they sell out the fastest,” said Ganjar in Jakarta on Friday, citing Antara. Ganjar explained that the main challenges for this year’s homecoming are the very high surge in passengers, limited seat capacity, density during the peak homecoming flow, as well as aspects of security, order, and passenger comfort. To address this, PT KAI is adding train trip capacity, improving facilities, implementing service digitalisation, strengthening security, and continuously coordinating across agencies. “The message for this year’s homecomers is to plan your trip well in advance, then arrive early at the station. Keep an eye on your belongings, comply with the rules, and follow instructions from the officers,” said Ganjar. He also urged passengers to pay attention to train schedules and travel information. In addition, maintain cleanliness and health, prioritise family safety, and respect fellow homecomers. Gambir Station provides various facilities, such as a children’s play area, coworking space, and free health check services to support homecomer comfort. Previously, the KAI Daop 1 Jakarta Public Relations Manager, Franoto Wibowo, stated that from the total capacity of 1,083,623 long-distance train seats during the Lebaran transport period, 743,786 tickets have been sold with an average occupancy of 69 percent. PT KAI still has 333,255 seats available for departures until 1 April 2026, particularly for the return flow. “For departures after Lebaran, namely 23 March to 1 April 2026, seat availability is still plentiful, reaching more than 316,000 seats. We urge the public to plan their return trip early,” said Franoto.