ECRL project general manager Deng Bo said large railway projects like the ECRL create a massive economic corridor which can support many other initiatives.
KUANTAN: The profitability of the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) cannot be assessed solely on short-term financial returns, as such large infrastructure projects aim to create long-term economic corridors and drive societal benefits, says ECRL project general manager Deng Bo.
Deng said large railway projects like the ECRL create a massive economic corridor which can support many other initiatives.
He said the railway line would also meet the public’s transportation needs, reducing the travelling time from Gombak, Selangor, to Kota Baru, Kelantan, from up to six or seven hours by car to about four hours.
“For large infrastructure projects, the long-term view is essential. This is why large infrastructure is planned and implemented at the national level. If you only look at whether a project makes or loses money then by that standard, even things like national defence would not be viable,” he told the media at the track-laying base for ECRL in Kuantan yesterday.
Last December, Malaysia Rail Link Sdn Bhd (MRL) and China Communications Constructions ECRL Sdn Bhd (CCCECRL) signed a joint venture (JV) agreement to manage the operations of the ECRL.
The JV splits any operational deficits equally between MRL and CCCECRL.
Should the project be profitable, the Malaysian government will receive 80% of profits, while CCCECRL will take the remaining 20%.
Deng said the ECRL is considered the flagship project under China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in Malaysia, emphasising the high-level cooperation between the two governments on the project.
Through that cooperation, Chinese technology has been introduced to build the standard-gauge railway.
He also noted that the ECRL stands out as a flagship project of China’s BRI in Malaysia, emphasising the high-level cooperation and mutual consensus between the two governments on the project.
“This is why the expectation is for us to deliver the project at a very high level, both in terms of quality and operations. The standards for this railway, from design to construction to the operational stage is high,” he said.
Costing an estimated RM50.27bil, the ECRL spans 665km with 20 stations.
The first phase, running from Kota Baru, Kelantan, to the Gombak Integrated Terminal, Selangor, is expected to completed by next December, with operations slated to begin in January 2027.
The second phase, connecting Gombak to Port Klang, is set to be completed by December 2027 and be fully operational by January 2028.
ECRL Project Management Section 10 general manager Dang Yayun said the construction progress for the ECRL is on track with no anticipated delays.
“For phase one, we finished laying the tracks from Kota Baru to Maran, Pahang, on Jan 15.
“By this month, we plan to start laying the tracks from Maran to Bentong, Pahang. This will take about two months, with the plan being to reach Bentong by June. Following this, we will wait for the tunnelling breakthrough of the Genting Tunnel. We plan to start laying tracks from Bentong through the Genting Tunnel to Gombak, Selangor by December this year,” he said.
The larger Pan-Asia Railway is an initiative that is aimed at connecting China with South-East Asia through a comprehensive rail network.
Deng said the realisation of the Pan-Asia Railway would become possible with the commencement of the ECRL in 2027.
The Pan-Asia Railway plan was proposed by former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad during the fifth Asean summit in 1995.
The initiative envisioned a rail network connecting Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia and eventually reach Kunming in China.
“The Thai government is currently in discussions with the Chinese government regarding a large-scale standard-gauge railway link at the Thailand–Malaysia border.
“The current railway connection from Bangkok to the Thai-Malaysia border uses metre-gauge tracks, but their future railway constructions will use the standard gauge. The China-Laos railway track specifications are the same with the ECRL,” Deng said.
Deng said Malaysia remains an attractive investment destination for China, due to the country’s favourable climate and relatively good infrastructure. This includes not only highways and transportation networks but also railways and power grid.
“Additionally, security is not a major concern. The Malaysia-China projects under the BRI initiative have been ongoing for many years and are also well-known among Malaysians,” he said.
