Long Weekend Boosts Mobility: 554,407 Passengers Travel by Train in Three Days

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - The extended Ascension Day holiday has driven a surge in public mobility to various regions.

PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) recorded that 554,407 passengers had used its long-distance and local train services during the first three days of the long weekend, from 13-15 May 2026.

The high number of journeys indicates that trains remain a primary mode of transport for people travelling between cities, whether for leisure, short trips home, or work and education.

Vice President of Corporate Communication at KAI, Anne Purba, said that the increase in passengers was noticeable from the beginning of the long holiday period, especially to tourist cities and centres of activity.

As of (16/5/2026) at 10:00 WIB, ticket sales for train travel from 13-17 May 2026 had reached 861,926 tickets and were still increasing.

The daily occupancy rate during the long weekend period was recorded at 196,370 tickets on Wednesday (13/5/2026), then 197,368 tickets on Thursday (14/5/2026), and 160,668 tickets on Friday (15/5/2026).

Meanwhile, for Saturday (16/5/2026), temporary ticket sales reached 147,851 tickets and on Sunday (17/5/2026) 159,669 tickets.

KAI recorded that some of the most popular destinations during the long weekend include Yogyakarta, Bandung, Semarang, Solo, Purwokerto, and Malang.

Pasarsenen Station was the destination with the highest passenger volume, reaching 55,663 passengers, followed by Gambir with 52,293 passengers and Yogyakarta with 52,111 passengers.

Semarang Tawang recorded 34,994 passengers, Bandung 31,995 passengers, Surabaya Gubeng 28,670 passengers, Purwokerto 26,951 passengers, Solo Balapan 26,543 passengers, Surabaya Pasar Turi 25,690 passengers, and Malang 24,988 passengers.

According to Anne, the high level of public mobility during the long weekend also helps to drive economic activity in various destination areas.

“Every train journey has a broad impact. Public activities are also stimulated, starting from the MSME sector around the stations, onward transport, accommodation, culinary centres, to local trade in the destination cities,” she said.

She added that the increase in travel also shows the role of rail-based public transport in maintaining connectivity between people during periods of high mobility.

KAI has advised passengers to arrive at the station earlier and ensure that their tickets and travel documents are prepared before departure.