Passenger arrivals by rail surge significantly in Purwokerto ahead of Eid celebrations
The number of rail passenger arrivals in the PT Kereta Api Indonesia (Persero) Regional Operations (Daop) 5 Purwokerto area, Central Java, has experienced a significant surge ahead of Eid celebrations 1447 Hijriah. On Sunday 15 March, a total of 28,037 passengers arrived at various stations within the Daop 5 Purwokerto operational area.
M As’ad Habibuddin, public relations manager for KAI Daop 5 Purwokerto, stated that this figure represents a temporary peak in passenger arrivals during the 2026 Eid transportation period. “The number of passenger arrivals on Sunday reached 28,037 people. This represents the temporary peak in arrivals during this year’s Eid transportation period,” As’ad said.
He explained that the surge in arrivals is expected to continue over the coming days. Based on preliminary data, the next peak in arrivals is projected to occur on 20 March 2026, the day before Eid.
Meanwhile, for outbound passenger flows from the Daop 5 Purwokerto area, the peak is estimated to occur after Eid. Based on preliminary projections, the number of departing passengers is predicted to peak on 23 March (day after Eid) and 24 March (two days after Eid), with numbers exceeding 25,000 passengers per day.
In related developments, rail ticket sales during the Eid transportation period have also shown an upward trend. By Sunday afternoon 15 March, six days before Eid, 214,624 tickets had been sold. This figure is equivalent to 83 per cent of the total 258,192 seats made available for the travel period of 11 March to 1 April 2026 in the Daop 5 Purwokerto area.
As’ad urged the public planning to travel for the holiday to book tickets promptly before they sell out. Ticket reservations can be made through the Access by KAI application, the official kai.id website, or other authorised sales partners.
Additionally, the public can take advantage of a 30 per cent discount tariff programme provided by the government for select rail journeys. “For the travel period of 16 to 29 March 2026, 14,657 tickets remain available at this discounted tariff,” he said.
KAI is committed to providing safe, comfortable and memorable rail travel services for all customers during the Eid transportation period. “We want to ensure that the public can enjoy the moment of returning home and gathering with family through smooth travel by rail,” As’ad said.
At Pasar Senen Station on Sunday evening 15 March, queues of passengers snaked through the ticket inspection area and platform entrance.
Complementing rail services, free buses are being dispatched to the gathering point for free travellers at TMII Jakarta. These buses are scheduled to arrive in Klaten on 17 March 2026.
The Garut Regional Police Commander, Senior Commissioner Yugi Bayu Hendarto, stated that implementation of a one-way traffic system has been carried out to ease the congestion of traffic flow occurring along the Limbangan to Malangbong route.
To ensure travel safety, the Police Chief emphasised that technical vehicle inspections (ramp checks) and health screening for bus crews are a top priority. Traffic volume increased by approximately 11.3 per cent compared to the same period the day before.
PT Kereta Api Indonesia (Persero) Regional Division I North Sumatra reported that 7,296 passengers had been dispatched to various destinations by midday.
KAI Daop 4 Semarang, Central Java, dispatched 61,071 rail passengers from Tegal Station during the year-end holiday period of 2025/2026. The number of passenger departures during the extended holiday period for the Prophet Muhammad’s Birthday was approximately 47 per cent higher than the same period the previous week.
Passengers on the Sribilah Utama train service on the Medan–Rantau Prapat return route in executive and business classes can purchase tickets at a 20 per cent discount during September 2025.
The number of customers this year has increased by 3.6 per cent compared to 2024, which recorded 1,958,321 customers.