ECRL – a Hobson’s choice

Options available: A man works at a construction site of the ECRL. According to a railway consultant, the government can either opt to cut its losses and stop the project or scale it down. — Bernama

ALONG the old road towards Bentong from Bukit Tinggi, a large clearing with the sign of the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) is visible. There is a batching plant, excavators, fabrication yard and workers’ quarters, among others, at the construction site.

It is one of the 30 lined up along the route of Malaysia’s most expensive railway project – the ECRL that will cost RM55bil.