State railway operator PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI), through its Yogyakarta regional office (Daop 6), reported that by Thursday, February 26 at 12:00 p.m. Western Indonesia Time, a total of 231,357 long-distance tickets had been sold for departures during the Eid travel period.
That figure accounts for 44 percent of the 525,350 seats allocated by KAI Daop 6 for the 22-day Lebaran transport window, scheduled from March 11 to April 1, 2026.
“The spike in ticket purchases has been evident since the first week of Ramadan, and we anticipate demand will continue rising in the coming days,” said Feni Novida Saragih, Public Relations Manager of KAI Daop 6 Yogyakarta.
Additional Trains Deployed
To meet surging demand, KAI has added 12 extra train services from the Daop 6 region. These include 10 additional long-distance trains and two Motis (Motorcycle Transport Train) services, allowing passengers to send their motorcycles to their hometowns while traveling separately by rail.
Ticket sales remain open, with the company closely monitoring bookings on a daily basis.
Peak Travel Days Emerge
The highest demand so far has been recorded for three days after Eid (H+3), which falls on Tuesday, March 24. On that single day, 21,217 tickets were sold.
Occupancy rates show a steady climb as the holiday approaches. On March 11, the first day of the Eid travel period, 2,509 seats were booked, reflecting 13 percent occupancy. Sales continued to rise, reaching 9,512 tickets, or 45 percent occupancy, by March 18.
A sharp increase began on March 22, when 13,216 tickets were sold (66 percent occupancy). Trains reached full capacity on March 23 with 19,954 tickets sold, achieving 100 percent occupancy. On March 24, sales even surpassed initial seat availability, hitting 101 percent capacity.
Following the peak return period, bookings gradually taper off. By March 30, occupancy had fallen to 46 percent, and on April 1—the final day of the travel window—just 2,048 tickets had been sold, equivalent to 10 percent occupancy.
Passengers Encouraged to Act Quickly
With seats on popular post-Eid return dates filling rapidly, KAI is urging prospective travelers not to delay their bookings.
For those unable to secure tickets on preferred dates, the company recommends using the connecting-train feature on the Access by KAI mobile application or selecting alternative travel schedules to improve availability.
The annual mudik season marks one of the world’s largest recurring human migrations, as millions of Indonesians journey back to their hometowns to celebrate Eid al-Fitr with family.
