ECRL records first tunnel breakthrough in Paka ahead of schedule

A proud moment: Mohd Zuki flying the Jalur Gemilang after officiating the final blasting of the tunnel in Paka. (Inset) The view from inside the Paka tunnel which was excavated six months ahead of schedule. The tunnel is 11.8m high with a 12.9m width, enough to accommodate two railway tracks in the future. — Bernama

PAKA: The East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project has marked another major milestone with the first tunnel breakthrough along the 665km interstate line.

Yesterday, the main contractor for the project, China Communications Construction (ECRL) Sdn Bhd (CCC-ECRL), successfully blasted away the final few metres of the Paka tunnel to allow smooth passage of both cargo and passenger services from Kota Baru all the way to Port Klang, traversing Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang and Selangor in the process.