{
    "success": true,
    "data": {
        "id": 1707086,
        "msgid": "mismanagement-of-indonesias-railway-safety-1777420796",
        "date": "2026-04-29 06:00:00",
        "title": "Mismanagement of Indonesia's Railway Safety",
        "author": "Sandro Gatra",
        "source": "KOMPAS",
        "tags": "",
        "topic": "Infrastructure",
        "summary": "A tragic collision at Bekasi Timur Station on 27 April 2026 between KA Argo Bromo Anggrek and a stationary KRL Commuter Line highlights deep-seated issues in Indonesia's railway safety management, including vulnerabilities at at-grade level crossings and outdated signaling systems. The author, a regular commuter, argues that such accidents stem from systemic failures like the lack of Automatic Train Protection (ATP) and reliance on fixed block architecture, which fail to enforce signals automatically at high speeds. While advanced systems like Japan's ATACS and ETCS are implemented in some areas, densely trafficked conventional lines remain at risk, underscoring the urgent need for comprehensive upgrades to prevent future tragedies.",
        "content": "<p>This article is a column; the entire content and opinions represent\nthe personal views of the author and do not reflect the editorial\nstance.<\/p>\n<p>On Monday evening, 27 April 2026, at 20:52 WIB, at the platform of\nBekasi Timur Station, the KA Argo Bromo Anggrek train collided with a\nstationary KRL Commuter Line train.<\/p>\n<p>There is a journey home that will never arrive. There are families\nwaiting with dinner menus that will never be touched.<\/p>\n<p>With condolences to the victims and without diminishing empathy for\nthem, as a regular user of KRL transport services, I feel the need to\ndiscuss this tragedy down to its root causes.<\/p>\n<p>Rail accidents in Indonesia usually end with expressions of\ncondolence. The news fades. We may even forget.<\/p>\n<p>Yet, behind every accident, there are those who left in the morning\nwithout knowing it was their last.<\/p>\n<p>Looking back, from 2007 to 2023, KNKT recorded 103 rail accidents.\nDerailments dominated at 62.14 percent. Collisions between trains\naccounted for 22.33 percent.<\/p>\n<p>Collisions like the one in Bekasi are indeed in the rare category.\nTheir consequences are far heavier than ordinary derailments.<\/p>\n<p>What is even more glaring is the point of vulnerability. Nearly 70\npercent of rail incidents in Indonesia originate from at-grade level\ncrossings.<\/p>\n<p>From hundreds of cases already analysed, 97 percent of them were\ncaused by vehicles forcing through when signals or gates were\nactive.<\/p>\n<p>The pattern in Bekasi follows a classic sequence. The disruption\nbegins at the level crossing. Then it spreads to the chain of signals\nand communication between trains.<\/p>\n<p>The problem does not stop at the crossings. Indonesia uses Computer\nBased Interlocking (CBI). This system is computer-based and, in\nprinciple, quite advanced in preventing two trains from being in the\nsame block.<\/p>\n<p>Most routes also use automatic block signalling. Sensors on the\ntracks detect the presence of a train and change signal aspects\naccording to the condition of the block ahead.<\/p>\n<p>The critical issue to investigate is Automatic Train Protection\n(ATP). Without ATP, a red signal only serves as an advisory. The\nexecution relies solely on the driver\u2019s level.<\/p>\n<p>At the speeds of long-distance trains, braking distance can reach 800\nmetres to one kilometre. A one-second difference between warning and\nresponse has, physically, already taken the decision away from\nhumans.<\/p>\n<p>Other countries have moved further. Japan has the Advanced Train\nAdministration and Communications System (ATACS). This wireless\ncommunication-based system tracks train positions in real-time without\ntrack sensors (moving block system).<\/p>\n<p>Whoosh in Indonesia uses the European Train Control System (ETCS\nLevel 2).<\/p>\n<p>The most congested conventional lines, including\nJakarta-Bekasi-Cikarang, still rely on the older fixed block\narchitecture.<\/p>",
        "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/mismanagement-of-indonesias-railway-safety-1777420796",
        "image": ""
    },
    "sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
    "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}