Indonesia’s research agency is moving faster on rail safety studies after a collision at East Bekasi Station killed at least 14 people and injured 84 others, ANTARA news agency reported.
BRIN Vice Head Amarulla Octavian said Tuesday the National Research and Innovation Agency is focusing on composite rubber rail sleepers and magnetic interference around railway tracks after Monday’s crash involving the Argo Bromo Anggrek express train and a commuter line carriage.
Octavian said BRIN is prioritizing “composite rubber-based rail sleepers to improve the safety and service life of railway infrastructure.” He said the agency is also working on automated protection systems that can be connected directly with train operations.
The agency is also studying magnetic fields produced by locomotive electrical systems. Octavian said those fields may affect nearby traffic, including modern electric vehicles.
“The magnetic field is conducted along the train; we need to research how to neutralize these fields around tracks so they do not disrupt passing cars,” he said.
The Indonesian Ministry of Transportation said the accident began when a Bekasi-Cikarang commuter train hit an electric taxi at level crossing JPL 85 near East Bekasi Station, according to a separate ANTARA report.
Transportation Minister Dudy Purwagandhi said the damaged commuter train had to be evacuated and was later classified as an extraordinary service, PLB code 5181, after it stopped regular operations.
A second commuter train, PLB code 5568 bound for Cikarang, was then held at the East Bekasi Station platform by PT KAI officers. The ministry said the Argo Bromo Anggrek train, traveling from Gambir to Surabaya Pasar Turi, could not fully stop as it approached the station and struck the stationary commuter train.
PT Kereta Api Indonesia said some tracks have reopened, though service at Bekasi Timur remains limited. Commuter trains are ending at Bekasi Station and bypassing the crash site, ANTARA reported.
Emergency and information posts have been set up to help families identify victims. KAI has pledged to cover medical and funeral expenses for those affected.
The National Transportation Safety Committee is investigating whether the crash involved human error, technical failure or signaling problems. Purwagandhi said the Transportation Ministry is giving KNKT space to conduct an independent investigation and will use the findings for future safety evaluations.
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