THE East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project was 56% complete in November, Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook said.

He said the megaproject was progressing on schedule and would span from Kota Baru to the Gombak Integrated Terminal in December 2026. The ECRL is scheduled to be operational in January 2027.

“This year marked a peak for the construction of this project. It project entered a new phase of construction early this year, involving the installation of flyover beams and the construction of the train stations and depots.

“Soon, the ECRL project will involve the electrification, signalling and telecommunications systems for the operation of the passenger and cargo trains,” he said at the ceremony to install the first ECRL track at the Section 10 ECRL Station site in Gebeng, Pahang, today.

Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, who was accompanied by Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah, officiated the ceremony to install the first ECRL track.

Once the project is complete, Loke said east coast folk would enjoy a new chapter in the country’s transportation system, which, among others, would enable Kuantan residents to arrive in Kuala Lumpur in just 1.5 hours compared with three hours by road.

Loke also said 23,000 workers have been involved in 1,900 construction sites along the alignment while 26 tunnels have been excavated through the use of the drill and blast methods.

“The excavation of the Genting twin tunnel measuring 16.39km, with a combination of drilling, blasting and boring, has reached a depth of nearly 6km on both sides of the tunnel. It is expected to be fully excavated in the second quarter of 2025,” he said.

As for work on the ECRL flyover, which would cover 145km, he said over 60km of that length has been installed with flyover beams.

The ECRL track from Kota Baru, Kelantan, to Port Klang, Selangor, involves 20 stations – covering 10 passenger and 10 combined passenger and cargo stations – with seven in Pahang, six in Terengganu, two in Kelantan and five in Selangor. – Bernama, December 11, 2023.