KAI Closes 127 Field Crossings As Of July 2024

A number of KAI officers closed level crossings. (Photo: Doc. ANTARA)

JAKARTA - PT Kereta Api Indonesia (Persero) closed as many as 127 level crossings to reduce the risk of accidents and ensure that train travel is safer and smoother on all existing routes.

"KAI continues to improve safety at level crossings. These efforts include closing a number of level crossings. In 2024, until July, KAI has closed 127 level crossings," said KAI VP Public Relations Anne Purba as reported by ANTARA, Friday 26 July.

He said, over the last four years, for the period 2020 to June 2024, KAI has closed the illegal and vulnerable crossings of 1,305 points.

He conveyed that the closure was in accordance with the Regulation of the Minister of Transportation Number 94 of 2018 Article 2. It is stated that a level crossing that does not have a JPL number, is not guarded, and/or is not gated which is less than 2 meters wide, so it must be closed or normalized by the railway line.

Anne said, KAI continues to try to close the level crossings that do not comply with regulations. The reason is, a level crossing is one of the vulnerable points for traffic accidents.

Before the implementation of the closure, the KAI team had conducted socialization to the surrounding community. Efforts to close this illegal level crossing are in line with the Regulation of the Minister of Transportation Number 94 of 2018 articles 5 and 6, said Anne.

He said that the existence of level crossings in some places passes through residential areas and industrial areas, making it prone to collision accidents.

KAI noted, in the last four years (2020 to June 2024), there were 1,353 railroad crossing accidents that claimed human casualties.

From the incident, 395 people died, 285 people were seriously injured, and 413 people were lightly injured.

Anne said there were four impacts of accidents at a railroad crossing, first the death toll, serious injuries, and minor injuries from officers, passengers, and road users.

Second, the damage to train facilities includes damage to locomotives, trains, and carriages; the third damage to train infrastructure includes damage to rails, bearings, bridges, and signaling equipment.

Fourth, interference with train and service travel includes delays in trains, accumulation of passengers, diversion to other modes of transportation (overstappen).

He revealed that other efforts made by KAI to improve safety at level crossings within 2020-2024, namely, socialization of safety by involving the Department of Transportation, Railfans, and the community as much as,

Then put up 1,553 warning banners at vulnerable crossings, and discipline 646 illegal buildings around the railway line.

In addition, KAI also proposes making non-field crossings to the government, namely by building flyovers or underpasses, as well as maintaining and repairing equipment at level crossings.

Anne added, there are still 4,254 level crossing points.

In detail, the crossing points were maintained at 1,799 (42 percent), and the unmaintained crossing points were 2,455 (58 percent).

"We hope that all elements of society and the government together care about safety at level crossings. We are advised to always be careful and obey all existing signs while driving through railroad crossings," said Anne.