Minister of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Proposes Moving Women's KRL Carriages to the Middle Amid Controversy

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - The Bekasi Timur train accident has prompted an evaluation of the arrangement for special women’s carriages on KRL trains. Minister of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection (PPPA) Arifatul Choiri Fauzi has proposed that women’s carriages should no longer be placed at the ends of the train but in the middle section.

The proposal was made by Arifatul after visiting victims at Bekasi City Hospital in West Java Province on Tuesday (28/4/2026). She assessed that the placement of women’s carriages needs to be reviewed to improve the safety aspects for female passengers.

“But with this incident, we propose that if possible, the women’s carriage should be placed in the middle,” she stated.

Arifatul said she had coordinated with PT Kereta Api Indonesia regarding the reasons for placing women’s carriages at the front or back of the train. According to KAI’s explanation, this position has been chosen to avoid overcrowding or passenger scrambles.

Nevertheless, she encouraged a change by placing male or mixed carriages at the end sections, while women’s carriages are in the middle.

“So, the men’s at the ends, front and back that’s for men, so the women’s in the middle,” she said.

It is known that the accident occurred when the Argo Bromo train collided with the rear of the KRL train that was stopped at Bekasi Timur Station. All evacuated victims came from the women’s carriage.

Head of Basarnas, M Syafii, stated that all victims in the incident were women.

“100 percent of those we evacuated are women,” he said at the location.

He added that the evacuation process was completed on Tuesday morning around 08:00 WIB. All involved SAR teams have also been returned to their respective units after the operation was declared complete.