Struggle for Lebaran Train Tickets: Fierce Competition to Waiting for Cancellations
The struggle to obtain transportation tickets during the Lebaran homecoming season remains a challenge for travellers. At Tugu Station in Yogyakarta, several passengers report having to “hunt for tickets” well in advance, with some waiting up to a month to return to their hometowns.
One such case is Novia, a traveller from Magelang heading back to Jakarta. She admits to difficulty in securing a train ticket since the start of Ramadan.
“I waited a month, and even then I didn’t get one. From the beginning of Ramadan, I couldn’t get any tickets at all,” said Novia when met at Tugu Station in Yogyakarta on Tuesday (24/3/2026).
She notes that this situation differs from previous years. According to her, since the post-pandemic period, train tickets have become increasingly difficult to obtain.
“I’ve always gone home every Lebaran. Compared to after COVID-19, it’s really hard now to get tickets, especially for trains,” she stated.
Novia finally managed to get a ticket after waiting for a cancellation from another passenger.
“I only got it by waiting for a ticket cancellation; I just got it yesterday. It was a cancellation,” she revealed.
A similar story was shared by Wahid, a traveller from Sleman also heading to Jakarta. He chose to hunt for tickets well before Ramadan to avoid running out.
“I started waiting to hunt for tickets before Ramadan. I bought the outbound and return tickets together,” said Wahid.
According to him, his homecoming experience since 2018 has made him more proactive in securing tickets early. Besides being safer, booking tickets in advance is also considered more economical. He avoids buying close to the departure date because prices tend to rise and availability is limited.
“It’s just experience, since I’ve always gone home since 2018. The price is also cheaper compared to buying last minute. I’m afraid I won’t get a ticket,” he explained.
Wahid assesses that the high interest from the public in using trains for homecoming has made the competition for tickets even fiercer.
“Because now many people use trains for homecoming, so anticipate well in advance to still be able to go home,” he concluded.