After Bekasi Tragedy, Women's KRL Carriages Crowded Again During Rush Hour

A number of female prospective passengers are once again crowding the special women’s carriage of the Electric Rail Train (KRL) at platforms 3-4 of Manggarai Station, South Jakarta, on Wednesday (29/4/2026). This crowding is occurring alongside the normalisation of operations on the Cikarang line following the train accident that took place earlier this week. For the first time since the collision incident between the KA Argo Bromo Anggrek and KRL at Bekasi Timur Station on Monday (27/4), KRL journeys on that line are running normally again. The accident caused severe damage, including to the special women’s carriage, and resulted in 16 fatalities and 88 injuries. Entering a new normal phase on the line known as the blue line, female passengers are beginning to return to using the special women’s carriage. During the evening rush hour, around 5:30 PM WIB, the women’s carriage was observed to be filled again with passengers heading to Bekasi. On the other hand, discussions about changing the position of the women’s carriage have emerged in the wake of the accident. The Minister for Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection (PPPA), Arifah Fauzi, has proposed placing the special women’s carriage in the middle of the train formation to minimise the risk of impact in the event of an accident. However, the President Director of PT Kereta Api Indonesia (Persero), Bobby Rasyidin, has stressed that safety aspects are not differentiated by gender. He explained that the existence of the special women’s carriage is primarily intended to provide a sense of security from potential sexual harassment inside the train. Field observations also show that activity on the platform towards Bekasi has returned to being busy as on normal days. The increasing flow of passengers indicates that public trust in KRL services is beginning to recover. One passenger, Retno (46), who regularly travels from Bekasi to Cilebut, said she is not too worried about using the women’s carriage. “I usually just adjust; if it’s full at the front, I move to the back. My family at home just reminds me to stay careful,” she told CNBC Indonesia.