MRL East Coast Rail Link

Infrastructure The project provides for the double tracking and standard gauge railway line. The infrastructure includes spur lines, tunnels, bridges, viaducts, depots, stations and a signalling system. Board of directors • Chairman: Mohammad Zuki Ali • Director: Fauzi Abdul Rahman Services According to the first realignment, the inter-city passenger trains will use 6 car-train sets for EMUs travelling at 160 km per hour, cutting travel time from Kota Bharu to Gombak and Port Klang to around four and six hours respectively. The freight (cargo) trains use electric locomotives running at 80 km per hour. Meanwhile, for international freight service from China to Europe via Malaysia, the original alignment of ECRL is expected to help reduce the shipping time by as much as 30 hours. ==Route and stations==

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The new rail link is projected to connect passengers from Kota Bharu in Kelantan to ITT Gombak in Selangor in less than four hours. It will start north of Kuala Lumpur at the Integrated Transport Terminal Gombak (ITT Gombak), the future interchange with the Kelana Jaya Line and main long-distance bus terminal. From the Klang Valley the line will run east through the state of Pahang, serving the towns of Bentong, Mentakab, Maran and Gambang, KotaSAS before reaching the state capital, Kuantan where there will be two stations namely Kuantan Port City 2 (freight) and Kuantan Port City 1 (passenger). From Kuantan, the line will turn north to Cherating before entering the state of Terengganu, where it will serve the towns of Chukai, Kemasik, Kerteh (Provisional), Dungun, Pengkalan Berangan, state capital Kuala Terengganu as well as via Telaga Papan and Kampung Raja area. The ECRL will continue north into Kelantan, serving stations at Tok Bali and Jelawat, before ending at Kota Bharu. The rail link includes a total of 50 km of tunnelling and underground alignment. The tunnelling works will be carried out along the Gombak-Bentong area where the single-longest twin hill-tunnel spanning 18 km will be built under the Titiwangsa Mountains. There will also be several underground lines, including in the heavily populated Gombak area near the Kuala Lumpur city centre. Phase 2 Phase 2 of ECRL will have an estimated length of 88 km. This phase will cover the stretch from Gombak North to Port Klang () through and two more future station located at Puncak Alam and Kapar. As well, a further extension between Kota Bharu and Pengkalan Kubor will also be built. The cost of construction for this section of the ECRL is RM9 billion. With Phase 1 and Phase 2 combined, the total length of the entire line is about 688 km and the construction cost amounting to RM55 billion. First realignment Due to the change of government in 2018, the new Pakatan Harapan government initially planned to cancel the project but instead decided to realign the route especially on the Section C between Port Klang and Mentakab, Pahang. • Double tracking from Port Klang to Kota Bharu bypass Gombak and Bentong. • Standard gauges were used and the maximum speed for passenger is 160 km/h and for freight is 80 km/h. • The number of stations reduced to 20 and these stations had been removed from list: • Pengkalan Kubor, Tumpat • Wakaf Bharu, Tumpat • Jelawat, Bachok • Telaga Papan, Setiu • Kerteh, Kemaman • Kuantan Sentral, Paya Besar • Bentong • Gombak North, Gombak • ITT Gombak, Kuala Lumpur • Serendah, Hulu Selangor • Puncak Alam, Kuala Selangor • Kapar, Klang • Northport, Klang and the following stations were shifted to another place or new stations: • Kota Bharu station will be located near Kampung Tunjong, passed through Melor town and portion of Bachok District land, and then will reached Pasir Puteh station and go ahead to Jerteh station via tunnel. • Kuala Terengganu station, formerly situated at Kuala Nerus, was shifted to Marang District near Wakaf Tapai. • Pengkalan Berangan station which formerly situated at Marang south was shifted to Marang west, making it nearer Marang town, and become a proposed station. • Temerloh station will be integrated with current KTMB Mentakab via spur line. • Klawang station will be located at Kampung Seperi, Kuala Klawang, Negeri Sembilan • Nilai Sentral station will be integrated with new KTMB komuter station. • Putrajaya Sentral station will be integrated with the current station via spur line, the section at Putrajaya will be elevated and pass Presint 14, 1 and 9. • Jenjarom station which is located at oil palm area. • Westpost station, as a terminal freight station at Pulau Indah The estimated date of completion was also extended for more than two years to the end of December 2026, compared to the originally targeted date of June 2024. Second realignment Due to another change of government from Pakatan Harapan to Perikatan Nasional in 2020, the Perikatan Nasional government is planning to revert the ECRL route back to its original alignment. This latest realignment will add 25 km more of rail tracks totaling to 665 km. Stations The project provides 20 core stations, with additional proposed extensions to the north and potential future spurlines. The stations comprise passenger-only facilities and combined passenger and freight stations. ==Project background==

The project forms part of China's Belt and Road Initiative. On 15 March 2016, Suruhanjaya Pengangkutan Awam Darat (SPAD) and East Coast Economic Region Development Council (ECERDC), conducting a marketing exercise to gauge market interest, and seek views and ideas for the ECRL via a Request for Information (RFI). In November 2016, a framework finance deal and construction agreement, valued at USD13.1 billion, was signed by the Malaysian Government and the state-owned China Communications Construction Company Ltd (CCCC). The deal was criticised by Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad as being lopsided. “When it involves giving contracts to China, borrowing huge sums of money from China, and the contract goes to China, and China contractors prefer to use their own workers from China, use everything imported from China, even the payment is not made here, it's made in China ... that kind of contract is not something that I welcome”. Starting 8 March 2017, the plan is opened for public inspection for three months at Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) head office and 38 other locations including district offices. The 3-month Public Inspection for Phase One of the ECRL received some 95 percent approval from 17,000 respondents across 15 east coast districts. SPAD had granted approval for Phase One of the ECRL railway schedule on 23 June 2017 which covers about 600 km of track. An Environmental Impact Assessment Report for the ECRL has also been completed and endorsed by the Department of Environment on 20 June 2017. On 9 August 2017, then Prime Minister Najib Razak presided at the groundbreaking ceremony in Pahang state, marking the beginning of construction. He said "The construction of this rail link is in line with the government's initiative for efficient national infrastructure as well as connecting towns and upgrading public transport in the rural areas of the east coast." Upon the change of government due to the 2018 Malaysian general election, the newly-elected Pakatan Harapan government initially decided to cancel the project citing high cost as the main factor. However, instead of cancellation, the ECRL route was then realigned with major changes made on the Section C route between Port Klang and Mentakab, Pahang. After the fall of Pakatan Harapan government due to the Sheraton move, the new Perikatan Nasional is planning to revert the ECRL route back to its original alignment. ==Rolling stock==

Passenger trains Originally, passenger services were be operated by a fleet of 11 sets of six-car CJ6-type EMUs, each accommodating up to 440 passengers. The trains will be eco-friendly and produce less noise than other EMUs. The passenger service will only run with the maximum speed of 160 kph. In 2020, promotional material by China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) has changed this to the CR200J electric trainsets. As of November 2024, the 6-Car CR200J trainset made up of an electric locomotive, four matching carriages featuring Business Class and Economy Class seats and a cab car is to be delivered by the end of December 2025, said Anthony Loke. Rail freight locomotive One China Railways HXD3CA electric locomotive is capable of hauling up to 45 wagons with 3500 tonnes of cargo. A fleet of 18 sets of these locomotives features container wagons, box wagons & open wagons. Construction rolling stocks The China Railways DF8B diesel locomotives used to assist in construction activities for the track laying which began on 11 December 2023, The purpose for this locomotive is to fill the ballast of the track. All six customised diesel locomotives measuring 22m in length with a maximum speed of 100km per hour which arrived on 23 October 2023 will facilitate the transportation of track materials. Also, there is a CCPG500A track laying rolling stock and a Ballast Tamping Machine, Rail Heater, etc., which arrived on December 4th 2023. ==Owner and operator==

The ECRL will be owned by Malaysia Rail Link Sdn Bhd (MRL), a special purpose entity wholly owned by the Minister of Finance (Incorporated) (MoF Inc). It will be jointly operated and maintained by a 50:50 joint-venture between MRL and CCCC. ==See also==