ECRL at 82.45% progress, 400 km Maran-Kota Bharu track installation completed ahead of schedule – Loke

The East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project has achieved an overall progress rate of 82.45% as of April, said transport minister Anthony Loke. He said that the track installation covering 400 km of the main line from Maran, Pahang to Kota Bharu, Kelantan has been completed two and a half months ahead of schedule, as The Star reports.

“As such, track installation for the next 100 km from Maran to Bentong, Pahang will begin this month and is expected to be completed by the end of June 2025,” he said. He added that construction of ECRL stations was progressing satisfactorily and is expected to be fully secured by the second quarter of 2026 to prepare for the project’s operational phase.

He also provided an update on the rolling stock that will be used for the rail project. “A total of 11 six-car EMU trains manufactured by CRRC Dalian have been allocated for ECRL operations, and the first set is expected to arrive in the country by the end of this year,” he said.

The EMU trains will operate at a maximum speed of 160 km/h and provide a travel time of just four hours from Kota Baru to the Gombak Integrated Terminal when commercial service begins in January 2027. “Simultaneously, the project has also allocated 12 E-Loco sets from CRRC Dalian for cargo transport, with the first set also arriving by the end of this year,” he said.

Loke also announced that ECRL Operation has been established to oversee the operations and maintenance (O&M) side of the ECRL. He said that the establishment of the new entity is in line with the government’s plan to strengthen the national rail sector by expanding railway services and creating job opportunities.

He said that approximately 1,800 personnel will be required once the ECRL operational phase begins in early 2027. “With operations expected to commence soon, the O&M phase has become critical. We must ensure that this project is operated by a local workforce that is not only highly skilled but also well-versed in modern rail operations,” he said.

the 50:50 joint venture project between Malaysia Rail Link (MRL) and China Communications Construction (CCCC) was announced in 2016. It was then cancelled in 2018 before being revived the following year with changes to its alignment.

The 665 km route connecting Kota Bharu to Port Klang, which will have 59 tunnels, is expected to reduce travel time between these points to four hours from the current seven hours needed for an equivalent road journey, or more than 12 hours during festive seasons.

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