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View all search resultsBetween safety and fear: Women commuters navigate travel after deadly crash
In the aftermath of the tragedy, many women commuters now face a painful dilemma, as the space intended to protect them has also become associated with fear and vulnerability.
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Passengers ride a commuter train during afternoon rush hour in Jakarta on April 29, 2026. (Reuters/Willy Kurniawan)
B
oarding the women-only car on Jakarta’s commuter trains no longer feels the same for Feni Freycinetia after Monday’s deadly collision that killed 16 women traveling in the same section of the train.
“There is a lingering sense of unease. I used to feel completely safe taking the train, but now I keep thinking, what if that incident happened to me?” the mother of one told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.
On Monday night, an intercity train traveling from Jakarta to East Java slammed into the rear car of a commuter train at Bekasi Timur Station in Bekasi, West Java. The commuter train had been waiting for clearance to continue its journey after another train on the opposite track struck a stalled electric taxi at a nearby level crossing.
Sixteen women riding in the rear women-only car were killed and dozens of others injured.
“I was honestly devastated. I felt like crying because, as women, we could really relate to what happened,” Feni said.
Read also: Women paid the highest price in Bekasi train tragedy
“I take the commuter train every day, and the rear women-only car is one I often ride in too. It just felt heartbreaking because something like that could happen to anyone. I could have been there too.”
