Crowded Pasar Senen Station Four Days Before Eid: Sitting on the Floor No Problem for Mudik Travellers
Four days before Eid al-Fitr, the flow of mudik (holiday migration) was increasingly felt at Pasar Senen station in Central Jakarta. Thousands of prospective passengers packed the station area from Tuesday morning (17 March), creating a contrasting scene where the waiting room seating could no longer accommodate the high volume of people wanting to return to their hometowns.
Based on observations at the location, congestion was evident from the entrance through to the main station lobby. Hardly any corner of space remained; virtually every inch of floor was utilised by mudik travellers as temporary resting places whilst awaiting their train departure schedules.
For some, these conditions might appear exhausting. However, for Suyitno, a traveller heading to Cilacap Regency in Central Java, sitting on the floor without cushioning was not a major concern. He recognised that this situation was a logical consequence of the peak mudik period.
“It’s certainly crowded right now, so all the seating is full,” Suyitno said when met at the location.
Despite having to squeeze into the station, Suyitno remained loyal to choosing train transport to bring his wife and two children back to their hometown.
For him, comfort inside the carriage was far more important than congestion in the waiting area. Affordable ticket prices and cleanliness facilities were the primary reasons for his loyalty to rail transport.
“On the train, using the toilet is easy—you don’t have to wait long. That’s different when taking a bus or other vehicles,” said Suyitno.
He added that train cabins are currently far cleaner, cooler, and importantly, free from traffic congestion threats, so arrival times at destinations are more assured.
A similar story came from Harsono, a mudik traveller from Blora Regency in Central Java. He felt fortunate to secure a ticket on Kereta Api Airlangga amid fierce competition for mudik tickets.
Harsono admitted he had to book tickets well in advance to obtain stable and economical prices.
“The ticket is cheap; if I took other vehicles, I definitely couldn’t get such a price,” said Harsono.
For his journey to Central Java, he only needed to spend 104,000 rupiah per person, a price he considered very affordable for workers’ budgets during the mudik season.
By Tuesday afternoon (17 March), Pasar Senen station was predicted to continue experiencing increasing passenger volumes.
Despite the physical facilities of the station reaching maximum capacity, the spirit of mudik travellers to celebrate Eid in their hometowns seemed undimmed by the crowded conditions of the station.
Central Java Governor Ahmad Luthfi ensured that all regional heads in Central Java were prepared to receive migrants returning to their hometowns.
PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) recorded 52,008 passengers departing using long-distance trains on H-6 Eid. During the mudik period of 11–20 March, PT KAI Daop 1 Jakarta noted 103,000 seats still available. The government also provided a 30 per cent discount for Commercial Economy trains from 14–29 March.