ECRL on track: 90pct completion expected by year-end
KUANTAN: The East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project, which stretches across Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, and Selangor, is expected to achieve 90 per cent overall completion by year-end.
Malaysia Rail Link Sdn Bhd (MRL) chief executive officer Datuk Seri Darwis Abdul Razak said the 665km mega rail infrastructure project had recorded an overall progress of 82.45 per cent as of April.
"Progress currently stands at 89 per cent in Kelantan, 91 per cent in Terengganu, 84 per cent in Pahang, and 67 per cent in Selangor. These figures reflect that the project is on course for full completion by December next year.
"Given the current scope of work, along with strong commitment and support from the participating states, we are confident of reaching the 90 per cent milestone by year-end.
"The key takeaway is that all components of the project are advancing steadily and in parallel. We aim to commence the testing and commissioning phase on June 1 next year," he told reporters at the ECRL KotaSAS Station here today.
Darwis was speaking during the first-article assessment ceremony, which marked the successful installation of the communication, information and signalling (CIS) systems at the KotaSAS station.
The KotaSAS station is the first among the 20 ECRL stations along the alignment to complete the CIS systems installation.
Describing the milestone as a major achievement for the ECRL's engineering development, Darwis said the project's systems work fell under Section 14, which covers critical rail technologies.
"A first-article assessment, also known as a first-article inspection, represents a pivotal stage in the lifecycle of a major railway infrastructure project.
"Today's milestone marks the culmination of years of collaboration between MRL and China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), encompassing detailed engineering design, construction supervision, and project management," he added.
The CIS systems, developed to meet international safety and performance standards, are a core component of the ECRL's engineering backbone. They are essential to ensuring safe, efficient, and reliable railway operations, covering automatic train protection, traffic control, and real-time passenger information.
Meanwhile, Darwis said two sets of six-car Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) trains for passenger service, along with two Electric Locomotive (E-Loco) units for freight, were expected to arrive in Malaysia by the end of this year.
In February, he said that all 11 six-car EMU train sets and 12 E-Loco units would be fully delivered by June 2026.
The ECRL, which links Kota Baru to the Gombak Integrated Transport Terminal, is slated to commence operations in January 2027. The extension from Gombak to Port Klang is scheduled to begin service by January 2028.
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