The problem of traffic congestion during the festive season on the East Coast is expected to decrease in 2027. This is because the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) Project is now expected to begin operations as early as January 2027 with it now being 82.45% complete as of April. This is in line with the original target announced by the Ministry of Transport in April last year.
The installation of the 400-kilometer track involving the Maran, Pahang to Kota Bharu, Kelantan route has been completed and further the installation of the 100-kilometer track for the Maran to Bentong route will be carried out in May. The installation process was successfully completed two months early.
According to the observations of the Ministry of Transport of Malaysia (MOT), the construction of the first phase involving the route from Kota Bharu to the Gombak Integrated Terminal (TBG) is able to be completed in line with the schedule, which is around December 2026. Meanwhile, the second phase of the alignment involving the Gombak and Port Klang routes has the potential to be realized by the end of 2027.
The construction of the ECRL began in 2017 before being cancelled in 2019. It was then restarted with the alignment of the route to reduce costs. When completed, it will use 11 sets of electric trains (EMUs) of the Chinese-made CJ6 type consisting of 6 carriages that can carry 440 passengers. Passengers can board the ECRL starting in Westport and ending in Kota Bharu.
This will also shorten the travel time covering four states, namely Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang and Selangor, to around 4 hours compared to 6.5 hours by car.