Progress Of ECRL Construction Near 49%

The East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project has made 48.77% progress, according to Tan Sri Mohd Zuki Ali, chairman of Malaysia Rail Link Sdn Bhd (MRL).

EdgeProp reported that the work progress is in line with the development of the project from Kota Bharu, Kelantan, to the Gombak Integrated Terminal, Selangor, which is scheduled for completion in December 2026 to allow the ECRL service to begin operation in January 2027, according to the Chief Secretary to the Government.

“The encouraging rate of progress for this project is not only focused on infrastructure works and the construction of the mega project but also the involvement of local companies in the implementation of ECRL.

“This project involves the participation of about 2,700 local companies consisting of contractors, consultants and suppliers from 2017 to the first quarter of this year.

“The contract value involving the local companies in the ECRL project work has reached about RM12 billion, surpassing the target of RM10.8 billion for civil works in the project,” he said during the ECRL’s tunnel breakthrough at Kampung Gedung Siam 3.

With Bumiputera contractors involved, the contract value is RM2.3 billion, or 66% of the RM3.5 billion target for ECRL civil works.

Mohd Zuki stated that more than 21,000 workers were actively working on the national transport project at more than 1,600 work sites along the line.

The tunnel construction in Kampung Gedung Siam 3, which is 1.32 kilometres long and scheduled to be completed in April 2024, is proceeding as planned.

The tunnel, which has an average height of 13.47 metres and a width of 13.02 metres, is needed to allow the ECRL railway line to meet the maximum gradient of 0.74 percent while avoiding open felling in the village area.

To date, dredging works on 25 of the 40 tunnels in the ECRL construction have been completed, including 21 tunnels in Section A (Kota Bharu - Dungun) and Section B (Dungun - Mentakab), as well as four tunnels in Section C (Mentakab - Port Klang).

He stated that the installation of long-span bridges for five locations on the ECRL Sections A and B has been completed.

The ECRL project entails the construction of a new railway line that will run from Kota Bharu in Kelantan (on the East Coast) to Klang Valley on the West Coast.