Rail projects still on track

PETALING JAYA: Contractors and project owners of rail projects in the country have taken measures to ensure work on these critical infrastructures will continue even in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Work on the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) does not appear to be affected, following the sole reported case of Covid-19 among its workforce from Maran last November.

“Our work is progressing smoothly, with work at the 223km-long Section B (Dungun, Terengganu to Mentakab, Pahang) reaching 7.03% completion ahead of the targeted 5.11% in December 2020, ” said an ECRL spokesperson last week.

She added that excavation works for the 2.86km-long Kuantan tunnel had reached 950m or 33.5%.

“Elsewhere, we are seeing advanced progress supported by rapid construction works in 94 priority locations in Pahang (58) and Terengganu (36), with primary focus areas for rapid construction including earthworks, prefabricated vertical drains, culvert, tunnelling and bridge works, ” she said.

ECRL will eventually bridge the distance of around 660km between Kota Baru and Port Klang, in the process, connecting the East Coast Economic Region states of Pahang, Terengganu and Kelantan with Selangor.

A spokesperson for Dhaya Maju Infrastructure Asia Sdn Bhd (DMIA), which is involved in rehabilitating a stretch of KTMB tracks, confirmed that there was one case among its workers last month, but stressed that work is ongoing, as per the SOP.

“If we find any possible patient-under-investigation, we will quickly establish his close contacts, and the procedure is being reviewed constantly, ” said the spokesman, who added that at the height of construction, DMIA will have more than 500 workers on the site spread over 42km.

Meanwhile, the SIPP-YTL (SIPPYTL) consortium, which is building the pair of electrified tracks for KTM from Gemas, Negri Sembilan to Johor Baru, said it has created a “bubble” at its worksite that stretches 200km.

Datuk Seri Azmi Abdul Aziz, CEO of YTL Construction’s Rail Division, said at the height of the project, there were some 5,000 men on site spread over Segamat, Labis, Kluang, Kulai and Johor Baru.

“Workers’ health conditions were closely monitored at the workers’ quarters daily. We have worked hard to transform the project site, and it is now mandatory for all site staff and workers to undergo the PCR test prior to resuming work.

“With the rising number of cases, we have prepared quarantine houses at all sections along the alignment. This is a pre-emptive mitigation measure in the event of positive cases to break the chain of infection, ” he said.

Other measures taken by SIPPYTL include undertaking internal audits on all workers’ quarters to ensure compliance with Act 446 (Amendment) 2019, Workers’ Minimum Standards of Housing and Amenities throughout the project site.

“We are screening both staff and site workers to ensure we maintain and preserve the bubble, ” said Azmi.Prasarana Malaysia Bhd, project owner of the 38km-long LRT3 from Bandar Utama here to Klang, said full completion of the line is expected by Feb 28,2024, which is unchanged from earlier announcements.

It is understood that the turnkey contractor for the project, the MRCB-George Kent consortium, which has declined to comment for this story, has not made any request for an extension to the completion timeline.

Mass Rapid Transit Corporation Sdn Bhd, project owner of the Putrajaya MRT Line, also confirmed that its plan to start passenger operations under Phase 1 of the line from Kwasa Damansara to Kampung Batu, Kuala Lumpur, remains fixed for July, while the rest of the line from Kampung Batu to Putrajaya Sentral will be operational under Phase Two in January 2023.MMC Gamuda, the turnkey contractor for the Putrajaya line, is the only construction player to implement fortnightly Covid-19 screenings for its mammoth workforce.

Last November, it set up its own PCR lab to screen its workforce as part of risk mitigation measures.

MyHSR Corporation Sdn Bhd, the driver for the KL-Singapore high speed rail (HSR) project, said the pandemic has severely affected the country’s fiscal position.

“This has impacted MyHSR’s work in re-assessing the KL-Singapore HSR project previously, and the new study on domestic HSR options to be embarked on going forward, ” said its CEO Datuk Mohd Nur Ismal Mohamed Kamal, who added the study will take at least three months.