MTI Highlights Urgency of Flyover at Bekasi Railway Crossing
Deputy Chairman of the MTI Railway Forum, Muhammad Fahmi Arsyad, has urged the government to conduct a technical study before building an overpass or flyover at the railway crossing in Bekasi. “A flyover is a strategic solution, but it must still be part of integrated planning, not merely a reactive response to a single incident,” he said via text message on Tuesday, 28 April 2026.
The technical study mentioned by Fahmi includes traffic volume, train frequency, and accident rates. In addition, he emphasised the need for a cost-benefit analysis and readiness for land acquisition.
The plan to build a flyover at the railway crossing was announced by President Prabowo Subianto following a train accident in Bekasi, West Java, involving the KRL Commuter Line and the Argo Bromo Anggrek train. In response to the plan, Fahmi stated that eliminating level crossings through flyovers is the most effective solution to enhance safety and network capacity.
Regarding the urgency, Fahmi said Bekasi is one of the corridors with very dense train traffic, resulting in a relatively high level of conflict between trains and road users.
Fahmi stressed that railway safety is a shared responsibility involving operators, regulators, local government, and the community. “The approach needed is not only technical-operational but also structural through spatial planning and access control to railway tracks,” he said.
President Prabowo highlighted the issue of level crossings on Java island. According to him, the large number of unguarded railway and road crossings is one reason why train accidents can still occur.
Deputy Chairman of the People’s Representative Council, Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, said Prabowo would provide hundreds of billions in aid for building the flyover in Bekasi following the train accident at Bekasi Timur Station on Monday night, 27 April 2026.
According to Dasco, the Bekasi local government had planned to build the Bulak Kapal flyover to address the congestion at the railway crossing but was hindered by budget constraints. “I have conveyed this to the President and requested presidential assistance so that the flyover can be realised. And the President, Alhamdulillah, has approved presidential aid of Rp 200 billion,” said this Gerindra Party daily chairman when contacted on Tuesday, 28 April 2026.
Dasco explained that the flyover is targeted to be completed in the next four to five months. Based on information received by Dasco from Bekasi Mayor Tri Adhianto Tjahyono, the presence of the overpass at the railway crossing is predicted to prevent accidents by up to 90 per cent.
The accident began when the KRL train was stopped at Bekasi Timur Station. The train stopped due to a disruption from a collision between the KRL and an electric taxi in the opposite direction.
From behind, the Argo Bromo Anggrek train sped forward and directly hit the stationary KRL body at the station. The collision damaged the women’s carriage on the KRL.
The incident claimed the lives of 15 women who were passengers on the KRL. Meanwhile, around 84 other KRL passengers were injured.