MEDAN – The Directorate of Railway Safety and the Medan Class I Railway Engineering Center (BTP) have strengthened their commitment to improving safety in the railway sector. Concrete steps have been taken through the closure of illegal level crossings that are less than 2 meters wide, especially those that are considered to be dangerous to train travel. This activity was carried out on Wednesday, October 31, 2024, and covered a number of points in the North Sumatra region.

The closure of this crossing is part of a risk mitigation strategy to maintain the safety of trains and road users. Collaboration between stakeholders is the main key to the success of this activity, involving various parties such as the Directorate of Railway Safety, the Medan Class I Railway Engineering Center, PT KAI's North Sumatra Division I, the Transportation Agency (Dishub), and support from the TNI and Polri.

Two level crossing points are set to be closed: Km 14 + 2/3 between Medan and Binjai Stations, and Km 88 + 0/1 between Pamingke and Padang Halaban. These two locations are known to be prone to accidents due to poorly maintained illegal crossings, so the closures are expected to reduce the potential risk of accidents.

This closure was carried out with clear socialization and notification to the public, so that road users are not disturbed and understand the importance of this step in creating safe train travel.

This step was not only carried out in North Sumatra, but is part of simultaneous activities carried out in various regions of Indonesia, including Operational Areas (Daop) 1 to 9 and Regional Divisions (Divre) 1 to 3. This closure is part of the agreement in the Coordination Meeting for the Action Plan for Improving Safety at Level Crossings which was held on October 21, 2024.

The closure of these illegal crossings has reached 103.79% of the program target planned for the third quarter. From the initial target of 237 level crossings, the realization has exceeded the target with the closure of 246 crossings. This figure shows the seriousness of the government and stakeholders in following up on the safety improvement program at level crossings.

Although this program has had a positive impact, challenges remain, especially related to efforts to change people's behavior so as not to open illegal crossings that can endanger train travel. In the future, it is hoped that public awareness will continue to be increased through continuous education and socialization, with full support from the government and related authorities.

Through collaboration between various parties and a strong commitment, the Directorate of Railway Safety and BTP Class I Medan are optimistic that they will be able to create a safe railway environment for all parties, both road users and train passengers. (AI/ARH/MAD/RZ)