ECRL: Port Klang Stretch Will Be Upgraded to Double-Track System

The 25-KM stretch of the ECRL at Port Klang will be upgraded to a double-track system with no extra cost, Transport Minister YB Anthony Loke said.

The 25-KM stretch of the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project in Port Klang will be upgraded to a double-track system, NST reports. According to transport minister YB Anthony Loke, the construction of the double track, known as Section D, spanning from the Jalan Kastam station to both Northport and Westport, will not increase the overall cost for the whole project.

“To enhance rail freight capacity and improve transport efficiency to Northport and Westport, the Cabinet has agreed to construct a double track, which will include a new standard-gauge track for ECRL services, while maintaining the existing metre-gauge track for KTM services.

“The estimated cost of the ECRL project, after incorporating the new scope in Section D, remains lower than the cost agreed upon in 2017 when the ECRL alignment only extended to Jalan Kastam station without a connection to Northport and Westport,” Loke told the reporters at yesterday’s press conference.

Loke also added that the detailed tender information for this double-track upgrade project will be released by both the Malaysia Rail Link Berhad (MRL) and the China Communications Construction Company Ltd. (CCCC) by the end of the month.

“For the construction of this track, Malaysia Rail Link Bhd, as the ECRL project owner, and China Communications Construction Company Ltd, as the main contractor, will release detailed tender information by the end of the month. Priority will be given to qualified and experienced Bumiputera contractors in the rail industry,” he added.

This double-track upgrade for the ECRL Port Klang stretch means that both the KTM and ECRL will have separate tracks, with the originally planned single-track system allowing trains of different gauges to use the same line. However, the original plan would seem like a poor solution when you consider the eventual heavy rail traffic these two lines will garner in the future.

As for the whole ECRL project, completion progress is recorded at 78.5% as of Jan this year, with the testing and certification of Phase 1 from Kota Bharu to Gombak slated to begin later in June 2026, ahead of its expected operation commencement in Jan 2027. Meanwhile, Phase 2 from Gombak to Port Klang is set to be completed by Dec 2027 and begin operations in Jan 2028.

Source: NST