Loke: ECRL Project Will Complete In 2026, Operational In January 2027

The Minister of Transport, YB Anthony Loke Siew Fook, revealed yesterday during the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) breaking fast ceremony with the ECRL team that the ECRL project remains on track for completion in Dec 2026, with operations slated to begin in Jan 2027.

This megaproject aims to dramatically cut the travel time between Kota Bharu and Kuala Lumpur to four hours, down from the current seven hours by automobile.

As of March, the ECRL is 64% complete throughout four states: Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, and Selangor.

Loke adds that the project has entered a new phase since 2023, with a focus on important infrastructure features such as flyover installations, track laying, and station and railway depot building. There have been approximately 1,900 work sites, of which nearly 650 are still active.

Notable milestones along the 665 KM line include excavation depths of more than 8 KM You through the Genting Tunnel's twin bore, which is set to become Asia's longest rail tunnel when it breaks through in the second quarter of 2025.

Furthermore, the use of the unique track-laying machine CCPG-500A, a first in Malaysia's rail industry, commenced on March 9, laying tracks for the second phase between Kuantan Port and Maran in Pahang.

The second phase of the 97 KM line is planned to be finished in June 2024. After which, track installation between Dungun and Kota Bharu will commence followed by electrification system installation at the Cherating Station in May.