President of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto, visited victims of a recent train collision at Bekasi City Regional General Hospital on Tuesday (28/4). Expressing his deep condolences over the tragic incident, President Prabowo highlighted the urgent need for railway infrastructure improvements across Java.
Prabowo stated that there are 1,800 level railway crossings across Java, many of which date back to the Dutch colonial era. He emphasized that these numerous crossings would undergo extensive upgrades to prevent future train accidents, such as the one that occurred in East Bekasi.
“In Java, there are 1,800 such crossings, I believe dating back to the Dutch era. That’s several decades,” Prabowo remarked during his visit to the Bekasi City Regional General Hospital.
“Now, we must resolve this issue. I have issued directives that we will improve all these crossings, either by establishing guard posts or constructing flyovers,” President Prabowo affirmed, underscoring the government’s commitment to enhancing railway safety.
The Indonesian government is preparing a budget of approximately Rp 4 trillion (around USD 250 million) for this ambitious project to upgrade railway crossings throughout Java.
“We will appoint the implementers for this project. We estimate the cost to be nearly Rp 4 trillion, all for the sake of safety,” he added.
Incident Sparked by Stalled Taxi at Crossing
The fatal collision between a Commuter Line (KRL) train and the Argo Bromo Anggrek executive train at Bekasi Timur Station was triggered by a Green SM taxi that stalled and was subsequently struck by a KRL at the Ampera Street railway crossing in Bekasi on Monday evening (27/4).
According to Saman (55), a local resident, the taxi was traveling from east to west through the Ampera crossing when it suddenly came to an abrupt halt. Residents who typically guard the unofficial crossing immediately shouted warnings to the taxi driver as a train was approaching.
“The taxi engine died and couldn’t be restarted. At that moment, the train wasn’t visible. The crossing guard screamed, ‘Get out, get out!’ They tried to push the car but it wouldn’t budge. The train arrived too quickly and eventually struck it,” Saman recounted.
The taxi was dragged for approximately 100 meters. Fortunately, the taxi driver managed to exit the vehicle before the impact.
“The driver is safe and was taken by the police and the railway barrier guard,” Saman confirmed.
Saman further detailed that the taxi sustained significant damage, particularly to its body, the left side and front windows, and the tires. “Yes, the body was damaged, and the windows too,” he stated.
The Commuter Line train that initially struck the taxi was operating on the Cikarang-Angke route. This initial incident caused another KRL, on the Kampung Bandan-Cikarang route, to halt at Bekasi Timur Station, awaiting clearance for the damaged train to pass. Tragically, while stationary, the Kampung Bandan-Cikarang KRL was hit by the Argo Bromo Anggrek train, which was traveling from Gambir to Pasar Turi. This secondary collision resulted in injuries to several KRL passengers.
Unofficial Crossing Status
The railway crossing on Ampera Street is notably an unofficial one, not officially monitored or guarded by PT KAI (Kereta Api Indonesia) personnel. Instead, its safety is typically managed by local residents who provide warnings to motorists when a train approaches. This particular crossing is situated approximately 300 meters from Bekasi Timur Station.
Fadli, another local resident, mentioned that accidents at this crossing are rare. “This place is safer than Bulak Kapal. It’s genuinely guarded here; this is the safest crossing. The car stalling wasn’t due to it being unguarded. It was likely an error in the car’s system that caused it to get stuck. They tried to push it but couldn’t,” Fadli explained, suggesting a mechanical failure rather than a lack of vigilance was the primary cause.
Green SM’s Response
Green SM, the taxi service provider involved, has issued a statement regarding the incident, affirming its full support for the ongoing investigation.
“Green SM Indonesia expresses its full concern regarding the incident that occurred in the railway crossing area near Bekasi Timur Station on April 27, 2026, involving one Green SM vehicle and a passing train,” the company stated via its official Instagram account, @id.greensm, on Monday (27/4).
“We have provided all relevant information to the authorities and fully support the ongoing investigation process,” the statement added.
Green SM underscored that safety remains their utmost priority.
“We are committed to maintaining high safety standards through continuous operational systems, supervision, and service improvements,” the company reiterated, promising transparency.
“We will continue to provide the latest updates as verified information becomes available,” Green SM concluded, ensuring public awareness of developments.
Summary
President Prabowo Subianto has emphasized the urgent need to upgrade railway level crossings across Java following a tragic accident in Bekasi. The government plans to improve facilities at 1,800 crossing points—many of which date back to the Dutch colonial era—by installing guard posts or constructing flyovers. This major safety initiative has been allocated a budget of Rp 4 trillion.
The accident was triggered when a taxi stalled at an unofficial crossing on Jalan Ampera, leading to a multi-vehicle collision involving two commuter trains and the Argo Bromo Anggrek executive train. The taxi operator, Green SM, has pledged full cooperation with the ongoing investigation to ensure operational safety standards are maintained. The government remains committed to addressing infrastructure improvements at these high-risk locations to prevent similar incidents in the future.