GOMBAK, Aug 14 — Transport Minister Anthony Loke has challenged Malaysia Rail Link Sdn Bhd (MRL) and China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) to bring forward the start of East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) operations to early December, ahead of the year-end school holidays.
Loke said the Transport Ministry (MOT) was prepared to facilitate and streamline certain testing and approval processes, particularly the Fault-Free Run (FFR), without compromising safety requirements.
“If this process can be expedited, I want to put a challenge to MRL and CCCC, together with the technical team, to bring forward the ECRL service from what was promised.
“MOT is targeting early December, coinciding with the year-end school holidays for schoolchildren and also for many Malaysians,” he said in his speech at the commencement of the ECRL System Integration Testing (SIT) and Fault-Free Run (FFR) at ECRL Gombak Station today.
Loke said the ministry would work to ensure the relevant processes could be simplified and expedited while maintaining the required safety standards.
“However, MRL has to accept this challenge and try its best to open the ECRL this year,” he said.
Following the announcement, he also spoke in Mandarin to ensure the challenge was clearly conveyed to the Chinese counterparts involved in the project, including main contractor CCCC.
The ECRL’s first phase, linking Kota Bharu in Kelantan to Gombak in Selangor, is currently scheduled for completion in December 2026, with commercial operations set to begin in January 2027.
Loke said the project had reached 95.08 per cent overall construction progress as of July, while all 10 feeder stations along the Kota Bharu-Gombak alignment completed electrical energisation three days ago.
The project has now shifted its focus to system integration, testing and commissioning, with SIT scheduled to begin this month, followed by the FFR in September.
The first six-car Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) and E-Loco will each have to undergo an 8,000km FFR under the supervision of the Land Public Transport Agency (APAD) to ensure safety, reliability and compliance with regulatory requirements.
Loke said the ministry was reviewing ways to facilitate the testing and approval process, noting that the trains had already undergone extensive and comprehensive testing in China before being shipped to Malaysia.
Meanwhile, he said the Comprehensive Inspection Train (CIT), a six-car CR200J model manufactured by CRRC Dalian, was expected to arrive in Malaysia on Sunday after successfully completing its Factory Acceptance Test.
The train, capable of operating at speeds of up to 160km/h, will be used to inspect track geometry, signalling systems and the overhead catenary system along the 665km ECRL network.
Loke said fast-tracking operations would allow more Malaysians to use the service during the year-end holiday period while maintaining the government’s commitment to safety.
“Everything must be expedited and simplified without compromising safety,” he added.
Once operational, the ECRL is expected to halve the journey time between Gombak and KotaSAS to about one hour and 35 minutes, compared with around three hours by road.
The journey from Gombak to Kuala Terengganu will take about three hours, while Gombak to Kota Bharu will take about four hours.
The second phase, linking Gombak to Port Klang, is expected to be completed by December 2027, with full operations targeted for January 2028.
