Cabinet Secretary Greets Eid Travelers at Pasarsenen, KAI's Economy Class Trains Remain the People's Preferred Choice
Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya inspected the Eid homecoming travel situation at Pasarsenen Station, Jakarta, on Tuesday (17 March). During the visit, Teddy was accompanied by PT Kereta Api Indonesia (Persero) President Director Bobby Rasyidin to observe customer services and railway operational readiness during the 2026 Eid Transportation period.
On the occasion, Teddy stated that the inspection was part of President Prabowo Subianto's directive to continue improving Indonesia's railway services.
"In line with the President's directive, he is focused on improving the railway system. That is exactly what we came to inspect today. Earlier, I personally checked the People's Economy Class Train," said Teddy.
While at the station, Teddy greeted travelers who were preparing to begin their journeys. He spoke directly with several passengers, waved to them, shook hands with families he met, and greeted children at the station. His presence was warmly welcomed by travelers, many of whom took the opportunity to take photographs and shake hands with him.
After inspecting the passenger service area, Teddy and Bobby proceeded to the People's Economy Class Train positioned at Platform 1 of Pasarsenen Station. There, Bobby explained the characteristics of the People's Economy Class service introduced by KAI as an affordable travel option while also providing additional capacity during the Eid homecoming period. The two then boarded the train to inspect its facilities and greet passengers already on board.
During the early phase of the 2026 Eid Transportation period, public interest in the People's Economy Class Train has shown a positive trend. Between 11 March and 17 March 2026, the service carried 7,951 passengers. Meanwhile, as of 17 March 2026 at 10:00 WIB, ticket sales had reached 23,708 tickets out of the total 27,368 seats available for travel between 11 March and 1 April 2026, representing an occupancy rate of 87 percent. This figure is expected to continue increasing as demand rises ahead of the peak homecoming period.
KAI President Director Bobby Rasyidin stated that the People's Economy Class Train was introduced to expand travel options for the public during the Eid holiday, particularly on routes with high passenger demand.
"We introduced the People's Economy-Class Train to provide the public with more travel options during the Eid holiday. With increased capacity and a more comfortable seating arrangement, this service is expected to support public mobility while maintaining affordable train fares," said Bobby.
The People's Economy-Class coaches are included in the Additional Train service operating on the Pasarsenen–Lempuyangan route, consisting of five Executive Class coaches and four People's Economy-Class coaches. The trainset provides 250 Executive Class seats and 372 People's Economy-Class seats, increasing travel capacity during the period of heightened public mobility ahead of Eid.
The train operates two daily services: Additional Train No. 7039 on the Lempuyangan–Pasarsenen route, departing at 06:00 WIB and arriving at 13:56 WIB, and Additional Train No. 7040 on the Pasarsenen–Lempuyangan route, departing at 15:25 WIB and arriving at 22:57 WIB.
In terms of onboard facilities, the People's Economy Class Train features a more ergonomic seating layout designed for medium and long distance travel. Each coach accommodates 93 passengers with a 3–2 seating configuration, providing more spacious seating compared to the previous 106-seat arrangement.
In addition, the seats are equipped with a reversible feature, allowing them to be adjusted to face the direction of travel. This arrangement provides greater comfort for passengers, particularly on long-distance journeys.
In terms of fares, the service is positioned between subsidized Public Service Obligation (PSO) Economy Class trains and regular Economy Class services. For the longest route during this year's Eid Transportation period, fares for the People's Economy Class Train start from Rp175,000, ensuring that the public continues to have access to affordable travel with improved facilities.
Bobby emphasized that KAI continues to optimize its rolling stock arrangements to accommodate the increasing public demand for travel during Eid.
"By optimizing our available rolling stock, we are able to increase travel capacity while providing a better travel experience for our customers. We want the public to have more options for safe, comfortable, and affordable rail travel throughout the Eid Transportation period," Bobby concluded.
Teddy also highlighted the improvements in comfort that passengers can now experience following the refurbishment of the train coaches.
"As you saw earlier, the air conditioning is working well, the toilets are in good condition, and the seats no longer face each other. It's comfortable for a six hour journey to Yogyakarta. Thank God the coaches were refurbished quickly, and they can now be used for services from here to Java, including Yogyakarta," Teddy added.
He expressed hope that railway service improvements would continue to be implemented gradually so that the benefits could be enjoyed more broadly by communities across Indonesia.
"We will continue to develop this further, although it will take time. Since the work is being carried out by KAI itself, the process is relatively fast. We aim to improve railway services throughout Indonesia, not only in Java but also on other islands, so that their quality, comfort, and cleanliness continue to improve. That is the President's message," said Teddy.
VP Corporate Communication KAI