KUALA LUMPUR: Preliminary testing of the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) train set has indicated that the journey from Gombak to Kota Baru can take just four hours, making it Malaysia’s fastest land-based passenger service when commercial operations begin.
The 519km route is now 98.16% complete, with the express service expected to take one hour and 35 minutes from Gombak to Kuantan’s KotaSAS station, another one hour and 25 minutes to Kuala Terengganu and about an hour more to Kota Baru.
Malaysia Rail Link Sdn Bhd (MRL) chief executive officer Datuk Seri Darwis Abdul Razak (pic) said the service was on track for a possible mid-December launch, subject to final preparations and approval.
The express train will travel at speeds of up to 160kph, making it the fastest land-based passenger service along the route, which crosses Selangor, Pahang, Terengganu and Kelantan.
“Meanwhile, the journey using a transit-like service that stops at all the 16 stations, is expected to take up to five hours,” said Darwis, who also revealed that ECRL’s comprehensive inspection train (CIT) managed to make a non-stop journey from ECRL’s Gombak station to Kota Baru in just three hours and 19 minutes on Sept 25 as another demonstration of its operational readiness.
The CIT, which does not normally carry passengers, was used to collect data along the entire alignment, including on track integrity, signalling, electrification and wheel-track interaction.
Under the original plan, phase one of the ECRL was supposed to open only in January 2027, but in August this year, the Transport Ministry made a request to MRL and its main contractor, China Communications Construction Company Ltd (CCCC), to expedite things with a view of making commercial operations possible in time for the upcoming holidays in December.
Darwis said ECRL’s 10 passenger train sets is enough to also provide commuter-like services from Kuantan to Kota Baru, as well as from Kuantan to Gombak, to meet various travel requirements.
“We have the capacity to run a total of 24 trips a day,” he said, adding that phase one was 98.16% complete as of September.
At the moment, ECRL plans to run six trips each day in both directions from Gombak to Kota Baru from Mondays to Thursdays, while Fridays to Sundays will see seven daily services in both directions, with services starting as early as 6.30am, and ending close to midnight.
With each train capable of carrying 435 passengers, it is expected that more than 5,000 journeys could be completed daily, thus offering a meaningful alternative to flying, driving or taking the bus.
While officials are tight-lipped on the specifics, confirmation of the actual service commencement date could come as early Friday, when Budget 2027 is tabled.
If that happens, ECRL will follow up shortly by revealing its proposed service schedule and fare structure, which has been presented for Cabinet approval.
Darwis emphasised that ECRL fares cannot be lower than KTMB’s ETS services, and will definitely be higher than bus fares, but unlikely to be as high as airfares, even when dynamic pricing is factored in.
Dynamic pricing is an automated mechanism that adjusts fares according to demand, which is how airlines typically operate.
“It is an extremely fine balancing act when we try to juggle between affordability with service sustainability and the ability to service the loan taken for the project.”
