KNKT Reveals Why Manggarai Control Centre Asked Argo Bromo's Train Driver to Brake Incrementally

Chairman of the National Transport Safety Committee (KNKT) Soerjanto Tjahjono explained the moments just before the Argo Bromo Anggrek train collided with a KRL at Bekasi Timur Station. KNKT explained the reason why the Manggarai Control Centre (Pusdal) instructed the Argo Bromo driver to brake incrementally before the collision.

‘The driver began braking from a distance of 1,300 metres after being told that there was temperan ahead; however, because Pusdal’s information was conveyed only by voice, they did not know the actual field conditions,’ Soerjanto said after a DPR Commission V working meeting at the parliamentary complex, Senayan, Central Jakarta, on Thursday (21 May 2026).

Soerjanto said Pusdal in Manggarai told the driver to brake gradually and to sound the horn 35 or more times. The Argo Bromo driver followed these instructions.

‘Only informing that there is temperan in front, brake a little and then constantly sound the horn. That was all conveyed, so the driver responded to what was conveyed by Pusdal from the operation controller in Manggarai,’ he said.

KNKT continued to study the causes of the Argo Bromo Anggrek–KRL collision. Soerjanto explained the reason why Pusdal Manggarai asked the driver to brake gradually: ‘Because in Pusdal they do not know what the temperan is or what the field conditions are, they presumed a cautious approach—slowing down and either braking slightly or sounding the horn.’

In the same meeting, Soerjanto disclosed there was an attempt by the driver to stop the Argo Bromo Anggrek before the collision. However the braking was requested to be incremental rather than maximum.

‘The driver actually started braking at 1.3 km before the impact location. He knew this because PK Timur, the track controller between Manggarai and Cikampek, informed him. The communications will be clarified later,’ Soerjanto said.

Soerjanto explained that the train could maximally stop at a distance of 900 metres to 1 kilometre. DPR Commission V chairman Lasarus later questioned why the Argo Bromo Anggrek still struck the KRL from 1.3 kilometres away. Soerjanto then explained that the driver failed to stop because an instruction from the control centre was to brake only slightly and to sound the horn frequently. ‘The driver was told that there was temperan at JBL85 and to brake incrementally while sounding the horn, so he did not apply maximum braking,’ Soerjanto said.