MTI Urges Acceleration of Double-Double Track Development
The Indonesian Transport Society (MTI) is urging the government to accelerate the construction of a four-track railway line (double-double track) on the Manggarai-Cikarang route. This line is a vital corridor traversed by intercity trains and commuter rail (KRL) to and from Jakarta.
Currently, the four-track line is only available from Manggarai Station to Bekasi Station. From Bekasi Station to Cikarang Station, it still relies on a double track or two lines.
MTI Railway Forum Chairman, Deddy Herlambang, stated that building the four-track line is crucial to reduce the risk of accidents, such as the collision incident between the Argo Bromo Anggrek train and a KRL at Bekasi Timur Station on 27 April 2026.
According to Deddy, the density of train traffic on the Jakarta-Cikarang route necessitates separating long-distance and KRL operations. The difference in service patterns is the main reason for this separation.
“Indeed, it is ideal to separate them because the services differ. Intercity trains do not stop at every station, whereas KRL stops at all stations. If there is a disruption, it can impact other train journeys,” he said when contacted on Tuesday, 28 April 2026.
He added that separating the tracks should not only apply to passenger trains but ideally also include freight trains. With this separation, the potential for bottlenecks and operational disruptions can be minimised.
However, the realisation of this project is still hindered by budget issues. Deddy noted that the government has already prepared a detailed engineering design (DED) for the construction, but it has not yet been realised because it is not included in funding priorities.
“If there is a budget, the tracks can certainly be separated, eliminating bottlenecks or operational disruptions,” he said.
Deddy also believes Indonesia can learn from practices in other countries, such as the UK and the US, which have implemented track separations between intercity trains, commuter trains, and freight trains.
According to him, without accelerating this infrastructure development, the risk of accidents and operational disruptions will continue to loom over the railway system on busy routes like Jakarta-Cikarang.
As of this report, the Director General of Railways at the Ministry of Transportation, Allan Tandiono, has not responded to questions sent via mobile phone. He also has not responded to interview requests or phone calls.
Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi stated that he will review the plan for building the four-track railway from Bekasi to Cikarang. He said this step is part of the evaluation of the railway system following the collision incident between the Argo Bromo train and KRL that killed 14 people.
“As part of the evaluation, we are reviewing, including the double-double track, as well as electrification, which is already a programme in our evaluation of train services, especially KRL,” Dudy said during his inspection of the train collision site at Bekasi Timur Station on Tuesday afternoon.