The East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) is now 87% complete as of August, transport minister Anthony Loke has said, according to a Bernama report.
Spanning Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang and Selangor, the project’s Terengganu portion was among the fastest to be completed because land issues were resolved earlier. Plus, its flat geographical terrain led to fewer construction challenges.
“In Terengganu, track works are almost completed. The only sections yet to be finished are from Bentong to Gombak, particularly the Genting Tunnel up to Gombak, which is the most challenging segment,” Loke said, adding that the recent cable thefts in Pahang have disrupted work there.
“More than a kilometre of cables were stolen, which created problems for the developer. They now have to review their approach to accelerate progress. I have already discussed with the home ministry and the police. More aggressive action is needed, including enforcing stricter laws to curb this issue,” he said.
The 665 km-long Kota Bharu-Port Klang rail project is expected to cut travel time to four hours from seven by road (or over 12 hours during festive seasons). Phase 1 (Kota Bharu-Gombak Integrated Terminal) is scheduled for completion by December 2026, with operations set to begin in January 2027. Phase 2 (Gombak-Port Klang) is expected to be completed by December 2027 and become operational by January 2028.
The ECRL may be extended to Rantau Panjang, which is on the Kelantan side of the Malaysian-Thai border; Sungai Golok being on the other side. This has been reported to be in the initial discussion stage.
Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.
