BLITAR – The annual mudik travel surge has started in Blitar, with Blitar Station becoming one of the main arrival points for travelers returning home before Eid.

Passenger movement across the operational area of PT Kereta Api Indonesia Daerah Operasi 7 Madiun has increased since the Eid transport period began on March 11. Railway officials said several stations in the region now record higher arrival and departure figures.

Data collected on Friday showed 5,880 passengers departed from stations across the Daop 7 Madiun network. During the same day, 11,879 passengers arrived. The higher arrival figure shows that more people have started entering the region for the holiday season.

Blitar Station remains one of the main destinations for travelers arriving from Jakarta, Bandung, and Yogyakarta. Tohari, manager of Daop 7 Madiun, said cumulative data from the first three days already showed clear movement.

“Since the start of the Eid transport period on Wednesday until Friday, total departures reached 16,180 passengers, while arrivals reached 27,811 passengers,” he said.

Those figures suggest that holiday traffic will continue rising in the coming days.

Ticket demand for long-distance trains has also increased. Railway data show that 128,163 tickets have sold for travel between March 11 and April 1. Daop 7 Madiun currently operates 72 long-distance train trips each day. Officials expect ticket sales to rise as peak travel days approach.

The current sales figure already equals 58 percent of total passenger traffic recorded during the 2025 Eid season. Last year, 221,721 passengers used train services in the same operational area.

“Because the transport period is still long, we expect the number to continue rising,” Tohari said.

PT Kereta Api Indonesia said tickets remain available for several pre-Eid departures. The remaining seats mainly cover departures between March 14 and March 20.

The company reported 3,297 executive-class tickets still available. Another 1,863 economy-class tickets also remain open for booking. Officials encouraged passengers to secure tickets through official digital channels.

“We urge passengers to buy tickets through KAI’s official application and avoid brokers for safety,” he said.

Railway authorities expect the passenger surge to grow stronger as Eid draws closer.