The train, complemented with facilities ranging from a multimedia service to a minibar, departed from Gambir Station here at 6:15 a.m. local time on Thursday and was scheduled to arrive at the final destination, Surabaya, at 6:55 p.m.
Based on their respective choices, the homecomers stopped at several locations, including Cirebon, Purwokerto, Yogyakarta, Solo, Madiun, Jombang, and Surabaya.
"This free homecoming program is an instruction from the SOEs Minister to facilitate our journalist friends to be able to come home comfortably," special staff to the SOEs Minister, Arya Sinulingga, said.
During the send-off for the journalists, head of FW SOEs, Ricky Anwardi, said that journalists from several national mass media organizations joined the free homecoming program.
The participants met the requirements for the program, including submitting their national identity cards (KTP), press cards, and booster vaccine proofs, which were a requirement for train travel, he informed.
"This activity has been held only to facilitate our media friends who wish to come home, but haven't had the time to find a ticket," he said.
The free homecoming program was supported by several SOEs. They included PT Kereta Api Indonesia (Persero), Bank BNI, PLN, MIND ID, Pertamina, Semen Indonesia Group, Jamkrindo, InJourney, Pupuk Indonesia, Bio Farma, Bank Syariah Indonesia, and Krakatau International Port.
During this year's homecoming season, travel arrangements have been made for 67,223 homecomers, divided into several categories, under the Mudik Bersama BUMN (Homecoming with SOEs) program.
Of the total, 48,743 people have been sent home on 1,081 buses, 15,658 people on 30 trains, and 2,562 people on 6 ships.
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Translator: M Heriyanto, Fadhli Ruhman
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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