Speaking during a meeting with the House of Representatives in Jakarta on Thursday, he underscored that data from the past three years showed 1,058 accidents occurred at level crossings.
However, compared to previous years, a downward trend in accidents was recorded in 2025 and 2026.
“The number of incidents declined from 337 in 2024 to 291 in 2025, and reached 102 as of May 1, 2026,” the minister said.
According to him, this indicates that railway safety improvement efforts have had a positive impact, although further strengthening is still needed.
He noted that the majority of accidents occurred at unmanned level crossings, accounting for around 80 percent of total incidents. Of these, motorcycle accidents accounted for 55 percent, while car-related accidents made up 45 percent.
The minister explained that railway safety is built on at least four core pillars. The rolling stock aspect involves routine inspections and maintenance to ensure all trains remain fit for operation.
Meanwhile, infrastructure covers tracks, bridges, tunnels, and operational facilities such as signaling systems, telecommunications, and electrical installations.
The remaining pillars include human resources, ensuring all personnel hold valid certifications and competencies, as well as strict compliance with regulations, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and train schedules.
“These also include external factors such as mitigation against extreme weather, disasters, and the management of level crossings in special monitoring zones,” he said.
Purwagandhi further stated that President Prabowo also highlighted the high number of unmanned railway crossings and emphasized the need for accelerated action to ensure public safety.
The transportation minister noted that there are currently 3,674 level crossings across Indonesia, consisting of 2,771 registered and 903 unregistered crossings. Of the total, 1,810 crossings remain unmanned.
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Translator: Muhammad Harianto, Raka Adji
Editor: M Razi Rahman
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