Benefits and challenges of the Gemas-Johor Baru Railway Electrified Double-Tracking Project

Graphic: ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute/The Star

In contrast to big ticket items such as the East Coast Railway Link and the Kuala Lumpur High Speed Rail that have been called into question in recent months, the relatively low-profile Gemas-Johor Baru Electrified Double-Tracking Project (EDTP) is making steady progress and is scheduled for completion by October 2022.

The RM9.5bil EDTP involves replacing the current single rail line with a double track and laying electrical cabling along a 197km stretch of track. Beyond allowing more trains to ply the route, these upgrading works will enable diesel-powered trains to be replaced with faster electrical equivalents. The Gemas-Johor Baru EDTP is the final piece of the existing Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd (KTMB) network to be upgraded and, once complete, there will be a continuous connection running from the southern tip of the peninsula all the way to Padang Besar on the Thai border.