KNKT Reveals Suspected Causes of Bekasi Timur Train Crash: Signalling Disruption and Communications

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - The National Transport Safety Committee (KNKT) has revealed a number of suspected factors contributing to the train accident at Bekasi Timur Station, Bekasi, West Java. KNKT head Soerjanto Tjahjono said the factors include signalling disruption due to distraction from lights around the track and issues in communications between train movement controllers. ‘First, the signalling aid was distracted by the surrounding lights. If the train driver could see the signalling aid clearly, that would also help avoid the accident,’ Soerjanto said, during a working meeting with Commission V of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Thursday (21/5/2026). According to Soerjanto, the train driver and the train driver’s assistant were thought not to be able to see the signalling aid clearly due to glare from the environment around the railway line. In addition to signalling, KNKT also highlighted a delay in communication during the incident. Soerjanto explained that the initial report of an accident involving the KRL Commuter Line and a taxi was received by the Southern region train movement controller, while the KA Argo Bromo Anggrek was under the control of the Eastern region controller. As a result, information had to be relayed first through several parties before the driver of the Argo Bromo Anggrek could be contacted. ‘Now, this is what makes the delay rather long because the Southern train movement controller has to tell the Chief, the Chief has to tell the Eastern Controller to contact the driver,’ Soerjanto said. He assessed that the system of communication between train movement controllers (PK) needs to be improved to prevent similar accidents from recurring. Nevertheless, KNKT emphasised that the briefing in the working meeting remains preliminary factual data of the investigation and has not yet become the final conclusion on the causes of the accident. ‘In the presentation at this time we are only presenting factual data, there is no analysis and there is no conclusion about the causes of the accident,’ Soerjanto asserted. Earlier reports stated that the accident between the KRL Commuter Line and KA Argo Bromo Anggrek occurred at Bekasi Timur Station on Monday night (27/4/2026). The incident began when the Bekasi-Cikarang line KRL Commuter Line was struck by a taxi at the level crossing JPL 85. KNKT noted the time gap between the KRL taxi collision and the Argo Bromo Anggrek collision with the KRL was about 3 minutes 43 seconds. The accident killed 15 people and left dozens more injured.