Extended Chinese New Year Holiday 2026: KAI Records 813,141 Passengers Served

Jakarta, VIVA – PT Kereta Api Indonesia (Persero) recorded a total of 813,141 passengers using its rail services during the extended Chinese New Year holiday in 2026, spanning various travel routes.

KAI Vice President of Corporate Communication Anne Purba stated that the average daily occupancy rate over the four-day extended holiday exceeded 100 per cent. Even on the return-flow day, ticket sales had surpassed the available seating capacity.

“KAI served 813,141 customers across various travel routes during the vibrant Chinese New Year 2026 extended holiday over the four-day transport period from 13–16 February 2026,” she said in a statement in Jakarta on Wednesday.

She noted that heading into the final day of the extended holiday period on Tuesday, 17 February 2026, the return flow was expected to reach more than 172,285 passengers.

“As of 17 February 2026 at 10:00 Western Indonesian Time, a total of 985,426 tickets for departures between 13–17 February 2026 had been sold against a total capacity of 825,086 seats provided,” Anne said.

She explained that the figure still had the potential to increase as ticket sales continued up until departure time. According to her, this situation was influenced by dynamic travel patterns, whereby passengers board and alight at intermediate stations, allowing a single seat to be utilised by more than one passenger on a single journey.

KAI provided a breakdown of passenger numbers by departure date: 13 February saw 202,105 passengers against a seating capacity of 164,196; 14 February recorded 216,863 passengers against 163,974 seats; 15 February had 203,824 passengers against 165,392 seats; 16 February recorded 190,349 passengers against 166,104 seats; and 17 February saw 172,285 passengers against 165,420 seats.

Public enthusiasm was also reflected in the ten most popular departure routes: Yogyakarta Station to Gambir Station with 12,883 passengers; Gambir to Yogyakarta (11,345); Gambir to Semarang Tawang (9,832); Semarang Tawang to Gambir (9,196); Gambir to Bandung (8,067); Bandung to Gambir (8,004); Yogyakarta to Surabaya Gubeng (7,710); Lempuyangan to Pasarsenen (7,404); Surabaya Gubeng to Yogyakarta (6,921); and Pasarsenen Station to Lempuyangan with 6,472 passengers.

Anne encouraged the public to continue planning their journeys well in advance to ensure comfortable and smooth family gatherings. “We urge customers to use KAI’s official channels to obtain accurate and secure information,” she added.