Jakarta. Passenger traffic at the Whoosh high-speed rail station in Halim, East Jakarta, surged on Wednesday, a day ahead of Christmas 2025, with more than 23,000 people expected to travel, up over 20 percent from normal daily volumes.

Thousands of people crowded Halim Station from early morning as residents of Greater Jakarta flocked to the high-speed railway service for trips to Bandung and other parts of West Java. Many workers who had begun their year-end leave were traveling with family members to spend the Christmas holiday outside the capital.

Whoosh operator KCIC Corporate Communication Manager Emir Monti said passenger volumes rose sharply on Christmas Eve, well above normal levels.

“On a regular day, ticket sales by 11 a.m. are usually around 8,000. Today, by 11 a.m., sales had already reached 14,000,” Emir told reporters at the station on Wednesday.

According to KCIC, station occupancy levels reached around 80 percent from the morning hours, while seat occupancy for afternoon and evening departures had already exceeded 70 percent. Emir urged passengers to book tickets in advance to secure seats and avoid congestion at the station.

“Passenger volume today is clearly higher than usual. We strongly encourage travelers to purchase tickets before arriving at the station,” he said.

KCIC said departures on Christmas Eve were dominated by passengers traveling from Jakarta to Bandung. The return flow, the company added, is expected to peak after the holiday period, with most passengers traveling in the opposite direction back to the capital.