RM 55bil East coast rail kicks off

This will also be the first project outside the ambit of Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd (KTMB). The train will carry both passengers and freight, travelling up to 160km per hour. (File pic of KTM train)

PETALING JAYA: The East Coast Rail Line (ECRL), estimated at RM55bil and the largest ever railway project to be undertaken by the private sector, is poised to kick off.

Sources said some early specifications and breakdown of the tenders could be announced as early as next month. While construction companies have lined up to bid for the multi-billion-ringgit project, Malaysia Rail Link Sdn Bhd (MRL) – the body under the Finance Ministry tasked to undertake the implementation of the ECRL – is said to have assembled a team and roped in personnel with rail expertise from the private sector.