KAI Continues Public Education Campaign to Strengthen Railway Safety

Jakarta - PT Kereta Api Indonesia (Persero) is urging and educating the public to uphold collective safety by exercising discipline when crossing level crossings and refraining from activities along railway tracks, following 128 accidents that claimed 44 lives up to 14 June 2026. “Railway tracks are not a place for playing or gathering. One step into a restricted area can endanger yourself, passengers, and railway staff,” said KAI Vice President of Corporate Communication Anne Purba in a statement in Jakarta on Saturday. Anne stated that the safety of train journeys depends heavily on the discipline of all parties. Trains operate on dedicated tracks and cannot stop suddenly like road vehicles. According to her, from the beginning of the year until 14 June 2026, there have been 128 accidents at level crossings with 105 casualties: 44 fatalities, 27 serious injuries, and 34 minor injuries. As weekends are a time when many people travel, gather, go on outings, and engage in activities around their neighbourhoods, KAI urged the public to remain vigilant, especially near railway lines. “Waiting a few minutes at a crossing is far safer than taking the risk of forcing your way through. We call on the public, particularly this weekend, to stop, look right and left, ensure it is safe, and give priority to the train,” she said. She added that in terms of accident causes, 113 incidents or 88 per cent were caused by vehicles forcing their way through, 9 incidents or 7 per cent due to vehicle breakdowns, and 6 incidents or 5 per cent related to crossing barriers being late or not closed. The vehicles involved, Anne continued, consisted of 74 motorcycles or 58 per cent and 54 cars or 42 per cent. By type of crossing, 59 incidents or 46 per cent occurred at guarded crossings and 69 incidents or 54 per cent at unguarded crossings. Beyond crossing accidents, KAI also recorded 252 incidents of collisions on non-crossing railway tracks up to 14 June 2026. Of these, 235 incidents or 93 per cent involved people being struck, while 17 incidents or 7 per cent involved vehicles. In cases of people being struck, casualties were recorded as 183 fatalities, 44 serious injuries, and 19 minor injuries. This data serves as a reminder that being in railway track areas without authorisation is an extremely dangerous act. Anne stressed that safety rules at crossings are stipulated in Law Number 22 of 2009 on Road Traffic and Transport, Article 114. At level crossings between railway tracks and roads, drivers are obliged to stop when the signal sounds, the barrier begins to close, or there is another indication. They must give priority to trains and yield the right of way to vehicles that arrived first. Violations of this obligation are regulated under Article 296. Regarding activities on railway tracks, Law Number 23 of 2007 on Railways, Article 181 paragraph (1), prohibits any person from being in the railway track utility zone, placing or moving objects on the rails, crossing railway tracks without authorisation, or using railway tracks for other purposes. “The criminal provisions are set out in Article 199, with criminal adjustments following the latest applicable provisions in Law Number 1 of 2026 on Criminal Adjustments,” she added.