Last Day of School Holidays Sees Train Stations Crowded with Passengers
The return flow of train passengers in North Sumatra reached its peak today, Sunday (29/3), coinciding with the last day of the school holiday period following Eid al-Fitr 2026. Observations at several stations showed dense crowds of passengers, dominated by family groups.
Acting Manager of Public Relations for KAI Divre I North Sumatra, Anwar Yuli Prastyo, stated that by 09:00 WIB this morning, 10,484 tickets had been completely sold out for various routes in the North Sumatra region.
“Based on observations at Medan Station, today’s passenger movements, both arriving and departing, are dominated by families bringing their children. This last day of school holidays is being used by families to return to their original residences so that tomorrow the children are ready to resume school activities,” said Anwar.
Over the 19-day Lebaran transport period in 2026, from 11 March to today, 29 March, KAI Divre I North Sumatra has served a total of 190,816 customers. This figure shows a positive trend with a 2 percent increase compared to the same period last Eid in 2025, which served 187,179 passengers.
Anwar assessed that this upward trend reflects the increasing level of public trust in rail transportation.
“The enthusiasm of train customers in North Sumatra continues to grow. This is evidence of the public’s growing awareness to use public transportation for inter-city travel within the province,” he added.
KAI data shows a significant difference between the outbound and return flows. During the return flow period, i.e., the second Eid from 22 March to H+7 or 29 March, the average number of passengers reached 11,834 people per day. Meanwhile, during the outbound flow from H-10 or 11 March to the first Eid or 21 March, the daily average was 8,740 passengers.
“If looking at data from previous Lebaran transport periods, the pattern is indeed like this. This data indicates that trains in North Sumatra during Eid are not only used as a means for outbound travel but also as a preferred mode of transport for tourism or social visits because of the much more efficient travel time,” explained Anwar.
The public’s choice to switch to using trains is a concrete step in supporting the government’s programme regarding energy efficiency. Amid the current rising fuel prices, using mass transportation like trains becomes a smart solution for the public to reduce travel costs while collectively helping to ease the national energy consumption burden.
Anwar emphasised KAI’s commitment to ensuring the safety and comfort of every individual using train services.
“KAI Divre I North Sumatra continues to strive to provide efficient, traffic-free, and comfortable journeys so that the public can arrive home in prime condition. KAI is proud to be part of holiday travel stories and is committed to serving wholeheartedly for the comfort of every customer,” he concluded.