Passengers check in at the waiting hall at Halim Station in Jakarta, Indonesia, March 17, 2024. (Xinhua/Xu Qin)

Indonesia's Ministry of Transportation has expected a surge in passengers of the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed train during the first Eid moment for the train.

Zahra Zalfa Farida, a 26-year-old employee in Jakarta, will have her sixth experience taking a trip with the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed train, locally called Whoosh, back to her hometown in West Java province.

Since the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed train was first launched in Indonesia in October 2023, Farida took the train almost every month to return home.

The train has now become her favorite mode of transportation. The train has made her life easier, not only because the Halim station is located near her apartment, but also because the train itself can get her to Bandung faster, only 40 minutes, compared to the two-hour shuttle bus she used to take.

"The high-speed train makes everything more efficient for me, from the location to the time. The train is also comfortable, very clean and has no disturbing noises. It is really worth the price," Farida told Xinhua on Sunday.

Farida will take the train for her exodus trip to Bandung on April 8 to celebrate Eid al-Fitr day with her family which is expected to fall on April 10. She booked the ticket a couple of weeks ago.

Meanwhile, for Aditya Perdana Putra, a 20-year-old university student in Bandung, next week will be his second time experiencing the high-speed train to return to his hometown in Bekasi, a city in West Java province, bordering Jakarta.

"I tried it once, and it is very comfortable and time-efficient. That is why I prefer to take it to return home for the Eid celebration. I think I will keep taking this train every time I go to Bandung and return to Bekasi," Putra told Xinhua over the phone.

Eid marks the end of the dawn-to-sunset fasting month of Ramadan. In Indonesia, the most populous Muslim-majority nation, the Eid festivity has been associated with a homecoming tradition, locally known as mudik, to gather with families and relatives. The Indonesian government has predicted that at least 193 million people will travel to their hometowns during the Eid exodus season. The number covers 71.7 percent of the country's total population.

Among the total predicted number of travelers, around 28.43 million are those who would travel from Greater Jakarta, one of the world's most densely-populated cities, to destinations such as Central Java, West Java and East Java provinces. Travelers usually take various means of transportation, ranging from private cars, motorbikes, trains, and planes to ships.

This will be the first Eid moment for the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed train. Indonesia's Ministry of Transportation has expected a surge in passengers during the exodus season, which could be up to 1.42 million people. PT Kereta Cepat Indonesia China (KCIC) and Indonesia's state-owned train company PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) had been told to take anticipative measures.

"We have written to the KCIC and KAI to add the number of feeder trains to increase the capacity," Director-General of Railways of the Ministry of Transportation Risal Wasal said.

KCIC Corporate Communication Manager Emir Monti said the company would deploy hundreds of officers to secure the operation of the high-speed trains during the Eid exodus and ensure the safety of the passengers.

"Maintenance is carried out intensively to keep the quality of infrastructure so that the train trip remains comfortable and safe for passengers," he said.

by Nurul Fitri Ramadhani