Malaysia's East Coast Rail Line touted as a game changer

Land being reclaimed to expand Kuantan Port, which is central to the East Coast Rail Line project. - The Straits Times/Asia News Network

In a remote nook along Peninsular Malaysia's east coast, millions of tonnes of sand are being dredged up from the South China Sea to get Kuantan Port ready for the country's priciest infrastructure project yet: a RM55bil railway link financed by China.

The East Coast Rail Line project (ECRL) will connect ports on the east and west coasts of Peninsular Malaysia and could alter regional trade routes which currently ply between the busy Strait of Malacca and the South China Sea via Singapore, officials say.