ECRL Project Achieved 52.9 Percent Completion

The East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project has reached 52.9 percent completion and is expected to be completed by 2027, The Star reported.

According to Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook, major construction works such as beam launching, structural work and track laying are currently underway along the ECRL line.

Loke also stated that the ECRL project from Kota Baru, Kelantan to Gombak is scheduled to be completed on December 31, 2026, with the stretch from Gombak to Port Klang scheduled to be completed on December 31, 2027.

"Following this, the tunnel borring works for the first tunnel in Genting has reached 3.1 kilometres (km), while the second Genting tunnel has reached 4.29 km.
"At the same time, a total of 25 tunnels have been penetrated as of Aug 25, including 21 tunnels in Section A and B of the project, while the remaining four in Section C," he said.
Meanwhile, he stated that the ECRL corridor would have an agglomeration (assemblage) effect, increasing job opportunities and serving as an economic centre to stimulate economic growth.

At the same time, Loke stated that the project site had been finalised and approved by relevant technical agencies, with more than 70% completion.

He stated that ECRL developers discovered the area to be prone to flooding through studies conducted by hydrology and hydraulics consultants on previous flood situations in the area.

"Following this, they proposed an optimal design, by taking into account technical aspects, value engineering and flood risk in the area. "The ministry will also ensure that the project's main developer, Malaysia Rail Link Sdn Bhd (MRL), alongside its main contractor, China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) maintains public safety during project implementation."

MRL and CCCC signed a supplementary agreement in 2019 to restart the ECRL project at a lower cost.

The new ECRL alignment is now 40 kilometres shorter, from 688 kilometres to 648 kilometres, because it no longer tunnels through the Titiwangsa Main Range, which separates Selangor and Pahang. It runs south from Kota Baru to Port Klang, passing through Mentakab, Jelebu, Kuala Kelawang, Bangi/Kajang, and Putrajaya.