Bekasi train collision: BRIN studies magnetic fields and rail durability
The research initiative serves as a direct technical response to Monday’s tragic accident at East Bekasi Station, where an Argo Bromo Anggrek express train collided with a commuter line (KRL) carriage, BRIN Vice Head Amarulla Octavian said here on Tuesday.
Beyond the immediate human toll - which includes 84 injuries - the disaster has highlighted urgent infrastructure vulnerabilities.
Octavian confirmed that the agency is prioritizing “composite rubber-based rail sleepers to improve the safety and service life of railway infrastructure” while developing automated protection systems that integrate directly with train drivers.
A significant portion of the investigation focuses on the invisible forces at play during a crossing.
Octavian noted that the massive electrical systems within locomotives generate intense magnetic fields that may interfere with nearby road traffic, particularly modern electric vehicles.
“The magnetic field is conducted to the train in front of it; we need to research how to neutralize these fields around tracks so they do not disrupt passing cars,” Octavian explained.
The collision on Monday evening has caused significant disruptions to the Jakarta metropolitan transit network.
State railway operator PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) confirmed that while some tracks have reopened, services at Bekasi Timur remain limited.
Commuter services are currently terminating at Bekasi Station and bypassing the crash site, while emergency and information command posts have been established to assist families in identifying victims.
KAI has pledged to cover all medical and funeral expenses for those affected as the National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT) begins evaluating whether the incident stemmed from human error, technical failure, or signaling issues.
Earlier, an accident occurred involving the Argo Bromo Anggrek train and a commuter line train at Bekasi Timur Station, West Java, on Monday night (April 27).
According to the chronology, at 8:30 p.m. local time, the Argo Bromo Anggrek train departed from Gambir Station bound for Surabaya. At 8:52 p.m., a commuter line train coded 5181B bound for Jakarta struck a stalled taxi at a level crossing on Ampera Street. Another commuter train, coded 5568A bound for Cikarang, was held at Bekasi Timur Station.
At 8:57 p.m., the Argo Bromo Anggrek train collided with the commuter train at Bekasi Timur Station. The locomotive penetrated up to halfway into the last carriage of the commuter train. The timeline is based on witness accounts at the scene.
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Translator: Lintang Budiyanti Prameswari, Aditya Eko Sigit Wic