"The peak of the homecoming return flow is predicted to be on May 6-9, 2022," Chairunisa of the state-owned railway company told ANTARA on Wednesday.
The date is similar to the Transportation Ministry's forecast, which states that the peak of the 2022 Eid homecoming return flow will occur on May 6, 2022.
However, during the homecoming return flow period, several passengers still departed from Jakarta via the Pasar Senen and Gambir stations.
One of those passengers was Annisa, who plans to travel to Tegal from the Pasar Senen Station. With her husband and two children, she opted to head to her hometown after Eid since her husband had managed to get a day off from work after Eid. She opted to travel by train since it is more comfortable and faster than buses or private vehicles.
"My husband has just taken a day off now. It has been two years since the last time we went home. Thank God, we can see our parents now," she remarked when met at the Pasar Senen Station.
Since May 3, the number of seats booked for the May 4-7 departure had reached around 40-75 percent and is forecast to increase.
"For the time being, tickets on that date (May 4-May 7, 2022) are still available, although the number of orders continues to increase," Chairunisa added.
The passengers mostly book tickets for several famous destinations, such as Yogyakarta, Solo, Kutoarjo, Purwokerto, Kebumen, Tegal, Semarang, Surabaya, Malang, Cirebon, and Bandung.
Chairunisa noted that on May 3, some 35 trains were operating at Gambir Station, with eight of them being additional trains. The number of passengers departing at the station reached 14,800, or 87 percent of the total 17,200 available seats.
Meanwhile, 28 trains are operating at Pasar Senen Station, with two of them being additional trains. The number of departing passengers reached 18,600, or 91 percent of the total 20,500 available seats.
"The data is only the number of passengers departing from Gambir Station and Pasar Senen Station. If (that figure is) added with (the number of) passengers, who also boarded from Bekasi, Karawang, Cikarang, Cikampek, and Jakarta Kota, then the overall number of passengers on trains departing from Jakarta has met the 100-percent seat availability," she explained.
The Eid homecoming transportation period for train travel is set from D-10 to D+10, or April 22 to May 13, 2022.
During that period, there were around 62 long-distance train trips per day from Jakarta, with an average seating capacity of 36,400 per day, specifically 16,400 at Gambir Station and 20,000 at Pasar Senen Station.
According to government regulations, the capacity set for long-distance trains is 100 percent.
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Translator: Lia Wanadriani S, Resinta S
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
Copyright © ANTARA 2022
