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tate-run train operator PT Kereta Api (KA) is offering a new standard for Jakartans who wish to return to their hometowns in luxury this Idul Fitri, which will fall on Sept. 21 and Sept. 22.

Starting July 30, the company is offering its luxury carriages, usually reserved for high-ranking officials, to passengers who can afford not to join the packed, cheaper carriages and don't want to stand in line waiting for tickets.

Tickets for a seat on the premium class carriages are priced at Rp 500,000 (US$50) each, for which passengers will get creature comforts such as extra seating space, a mini bar, karaoke machine and cleaner toilets, a communications officer at the Kota train station in Central Jakarta said.

"The *premium* trains have existed since Soeharto's era," Asmat Saputra told The Jakarta Post in an interview last week.

"But back then they were only used by the president, the ministers and other officials."

Previously, passengers were only permitted to book seats on the trains, dubbed "Kereta Wisata" or "Pleasure Trip Trains", for group trips.

However, the company has made individual reservations for the newly dubbed "Premium Class" carriages available since July this year for the Jakarta-Surakarta (Central Java) route and back.

"As long as the carriage is not booked by a group, passengers can reserve seats by calling the call center or the Jakarta marketing office," Asmat said, adding that the tickets will then be sent to the callers.

The luxury trains will be available throughout the Idul Fitri high season, but passengers who want to use them must be prepared to pay the price.

"The price will be increased up to Rp 1.2 million per seat between Sept. 16 and 20. After Sept. 20, the price will probably decrease to Rp 700,000 and gradually drop further," Asmat explained.

The Idul Fitri exodus is a yearly tradition which, although it can lead to pain both physical and financial, is often seen as part of the celebration.

According to the Ministry of Transportation, 15.31 million passengers used public transportation to their hometown during the Idul Fitri holiday period last year.

In Jakarta alone, the number of travelers using public land transportation this year is expected to increase by between 9 and 10 percent, up from 2.3 million in 2008.

The exodus, which usually peaks two or three days before Idul Fitri, creates miles of traffic along the north-coast Java highway.

Train passengers meanwhile generally have to put up with hours of being squeezed between luggage and fellow holidaymakers.

This year, KA has prepared hundreds of extra trains to accommodate the rush, company spokesman Sugeng Priyono said.

"We have prepared 201 executive-class trains, 163 business-class trains and 106 economy-class trains this year," he told the Post.

Sugeng said the company was expecting to transport an estimated 840,000 people over this Idul Fitri period, a 9 percent increase from last year.

Sony Panji Wicaksono, a Jakartan who intends to return to his hometown in Weleri, Central Java, to enjoy the festivities this year, said that it was almost impossible to get train tickets at this time of the month.

"Last year, I was lucky because I was in the train station when they announced that extra trains were coming," he said.

"I booked tickets for Idul Fitri two weeks ago, otherwise it would have been very hard to get them."

Aside from serving those who want to travel in comfort, the premium-class carriages could provide a back up option for those who failed to get tickets on regular trains.

However, there has been little demand for seats in this class since the company announced its new booking scheme.

"Since July 30, only 62 passengers have traveled on the premium-class trains," Asmat said. "The total number of passengers, including those who were on group trips, stands at 260."

The cost of a ticket makes the Premium Class out of reach to most Indonesians.