School Holiday 2026: North Sumatrans Rush for Discounted Sribilah Train Tickets
As the 2026 school holiday season begins, enthusiasm among North Sumatrans for using rail transport has surged significantly. A total of 5,650 residents in the region have utilised the 30 per cent transport discount programme rolled out by the government through the Directorate General of Railways (DJKA) of the Ministry of Transportation as a form of economic stimulus.
PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) Regional Division I Sumatra Utara Public Relations Manager, Anwar Yuli Prastyo, stated that the number of passengers exceeded the available seating capacity of 5,088, reaching 111 per cent. “With such economical pricing, this stimulus has proven effective in encouraging the people of North Sumatra to make it their primary mode of mobility during the current school holidays,” Anwar said in a statement on Sunday (28/6).
In the Regional Division I Sumatra Utara area, the 30 per cent fare discount programme applies specifically to the Sribilah Fakultatif train service on the Medan-Rantauprapat round-trip route. High public interest was evident on Sunday (28/6), with 1,133 tickets sold for the Sribilah Fakultatif. This sales figure equates to 107 per cent of the total available capacity of 1,060 seats for the day. Anwar explained that sales exceeding seat capacity are possible due to a partial passenger system, where passengers board and alight at intermediate stations, allowing one seat to be used by two to three passengers alternately along the route.
Cumulatively, during the school holiday period from 20 June to 28 June, KAI Divre I Sumut provided a total capacity of 131,744 seats for all train journeys. Of this total, 106,015 tickets were sold, representing approximately 80 per cent of the overall available occupancy. Despite the high enthusiasm, KAI has informed the public that tickets for several journeys in North Sumatra are still available. The public is advised to book immediately, and if tickets for preferred dates are sold out, passengers are encouraged to consider alternative dates where availability remains ample.
“The high level of enthusiasm among the people of North Sumatra to take advantage of this 30 per cent discount is proof that the government’s transport stimulus has successfully driven massive and safe public mobility, while also easing the economic burden on families during the holiday season,” Anwar concluded.