Breaking Overcrowding, Purwokerto Station Opens West Door Drop Zone Access

Overcrowding in the station area often becomes a challenge for the community, especially during the Christmas and New Year (Nataru) holidays. To answer this need, PT Kereta Api Indonesia (Persero) Operation Area 5 Purwokerto opened a new drop zone access at the West Gate of Purwokerto Station, Jl. New Saga, which customers can start using on Friday, December 26 2025.

Overcrowding in the station area often becomes a challenge for the community, especially during the Christmas and New Year (Nataru) holidays. To answer this need, PT Kereta Api Indonesia (Persero) Operation Area 5 Purwokerto opened a new drop zone access at the West Gate of Purwokerto Station, Jl. New Saga, which customers can start using on Friday, December 26 2025.

Previously, passenger pick-up and drop-off activities at Purwokerto Station were still concentrated at the East Gate. During rush hours, especially during the Nataru Transport, this condition often causes vehicle congestion and queues of passengers.

KAI Daop 5 Purwokerto Public Relations Manager, M. As’ad Habibuddin, said that opening the West Gate drop zone access was KAI’s effort to provide a more comfortable journey from the moment customers arrived at the station.

“We want customers to feel comfortable from the first step on their journey. By opening the West Gate drop zone access, the flow of vehicles and passengers can be divided so that they no longer pile up on one side,” said As’ad.

He explained that at the West Gate there are now two accesses that customers can use, making it more flexible to leave and enter the station area. Apart from that, the shuttle area at the West Gate is equipped with a canopy, so passengers don’t need to worry about getting caught in the rain or heat while waiting or being picked up.

“This new access is expected to expedite the passenger pick-up and drop-off process, reduce congestion at the East Gate, and provide a closer alternative for customers coming from the west side of Purwokerto Station. The hope is that this flow distribution can also help smooth traffic around the station’s East Gate, including in the Jalan Kober area,” he added.

The opening of this access is in line with the increase in KAI Daop 5 Purwokerto services during the Nataru Transport period which runs from 18 December 2025 to 4 January 2026, where the number of passengers has increased significantly.

During the eight days of the Nataru Transport (18–25 December 2025), a total of 52,035 passengers were recorded as arriving at Purwokerto Station, or an average of 6,504 passengers per day. This figure has increased by 49 percent compared to normal days, which averaged 4,359 passengers per day. Meanwhile, the number of passengers departing from Purwokerto Station reached an average of 6,386 passengers per day, an increase of 50 percent compared to normal days which averaged 4,245 passengers.

Meanwhile, KAI Daop 5 Purwokerto said that there are still quite a lot of train tickets available during the Christmas 2025 and New Year 2026 transportation periods. As of Friday (26/12), there were 38,710 train tickets departing from the Daop 5 Purwokerto area that were still available and could be used by the public for departures in the period 26 December 2025 to 4 January 2026.

“Natural momentum is always a period with high community mobility. Therefore, KAI continues to make various service adjustments so that customer travel remains safe, orderly and comfortable,” concluded As’ad.

KAI Daop 5 Purwokerto urges the public to use the West Gate drop zone access as an alternative and follow the signs and directions of officers in the field for the sake of smooth running together.

By opening this new access, KAI hopes that the customer experience at Purwokerto Station during the Christmas and New Year holidays will feel smoother, more comfortable and memorable.

This article also appeared on VRTimes