Long Holiday Weekend, Train Passengers in Malang Increase by 30 Percent

The number of train passengers in Malang rose 30 percent during the Ascension of Jesus Christ holiday which coincided with the weekend.

KOMPAS/DEFRI WERDIONO

Malang Station is busy with passengers on the 6th day of Eid 2023 as seen on Sunday (16/4/2023) afternoon.

MALANG, KOMPAS — The long holiday weekend along with the Ascension Day of Jesus Christ made train passengers< /a> at Malang Station, East Java, up 30 percent compared to the same period the previous week. PT Kereta Api Indonesia is adding three additional train sets to and from Malang.

The Public Relations Manager of PT Kereta Api Indonesia Operational Region 8 in Surabaya, Luqman Arif, stated on Friday (10/5/2024) that on May 8-9, the number of passengers at Malang Station reached 7,521. This was an increase of 1,736 compared to the same time last week which reached 5,785 people.

Not just in terms of transportation, the number of tourists taking advantage of the long holiday period in Batu City has also increased. However, compared to the Idul Fitri holiday a few weeks ago, the number of tourists has not shown a significant increase.

According to Luqman, during the long holiday period from May 8-12, the number of passengers leaving Malang reached 15,973 people. This number will continue to increase as ticket sales are still ongoing until now.

Daop 8 operates 11 train sets from Malang with a seating capacity of 5,600 per day. Of that number, 8 are regular long-distance trains, and 3 are additional trains, both long-distance and local.

KOMPAS/DEFRI WERDIONO

The Tawangalun train bound for Malang-Banyuwangi with a classic-designed locomotive, is traveling from Malang Kota Lama Station to the crowded Malang Station with passengers on the 6-day countdown to Eid al-Fitr in 2023, as seen on Sunday (16/4/2023) afternoon.

The additional trains will only operate for four days, from May 9-12. These trains are the Malabar train connecting Malang to Bandung, Arjuno Ekspres from Surabaya Gubeng to Malang, and Malioboro Ekspres from Malang to Purwokerto.

"This is to accommodate the needs of the community who will travel by train," he said. In addition to universities, most train passengers to Malang are for tourism purposes.

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Not only in terms of transportation, the number tourists taking advantage of the momentum of the long holiday to Batu City has also increased. However, compared to the Eid al-Fitr holiday a few weeks ago, the number of tourists has not shown a significant increase.

According to Kompas, the condition of the access roads to Batu is still smooth as usual, both from the Trans Java toll gate and the Surabaya-Malang arterial route.

KOMPAS/DEFRI WERDIONO

A number of vehicles passed in front of the Jatim Park 3 tourist destination in Batu City, East Java, on Friday (10/2/2024). Travel industry players reported an increase in the number of tourists during the long weekend holiday coinciding with this year's Ascension of Jesus Christ holiday.

Chairman of the Batu City Hotel and Restaurant Association, Sujud Hariadi, stated that the number of tourists is likely to peak on Saturday (11/5/2024) and Sunday (12/5/2024) because some workers are still active at the moment.

Sujud, who serves as the CEO of Selecta Recreational Park, mentioned that the tourist destination he manages received 3,270 visitors on Wednesday (8/5) and the number increased to 4,000 people on Thursday (9/5). "Today, Friday, there are only around 1,500 people," he said.

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Sujud estimated that the number of tourists on Saturday and Sunday could reach 5,000 people per day or lower compared to during the Eid al-Fitr holiday which could reach over 5,000 people per day. This number does not include those who visit other tourist locations.

Tourism players evaluate this kind of moment with the term "nanggung". This is because the long school holiday in May-June is coming soon. Meanwhile, the long holiday of Eid al-Fitr in April has just passed. Sujud also hopes that the number of tourist visits can remain stable until the school holidays come.