MRL East Coast Rail Link

Gombak-Kota Bharu
East Coast Rail Line
 ECR 
CRRC Zhuzhou CJ6-type EMU proposed for inter-city rail line passenger services.
Overview
Native name Laluan Rel Pantai Timur Gombak-Kota Bharu
Type Inter-city rail & Rail freight transport
Status Cancelled
Locale Phase 1: Kota Bharu – Kuala Terengganu – Kuantan – Bentong – ITT Gombak
Phase 2: Gombak North – Serendah – Port Klang and Kota Bharu – Pengkalan Kubor
Stations Phase 1: 22
Ridership 5.40 million by 2030 (estimated)
Website mrl.com.my
Operation
Planned opening Cancelled effective 21-08-2018
Owner Malaysia Rail Link Sdn Bhd
Operator(s) Malaysia Rail Link Sdn Bhd
Conduction system With driver
Rolling stock 11 eight-car trainsets (CJ6-type EMU) capacity for up to 600 passengers per trainsets
Technical
Line length Phase 1: 600.3 km (373.0 mi) Single track railway line built on a double track formation.
Phase 2: 88 km (55 mi)
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification Overhead line
Operating speed 220 km/h (140 mph)

East Coast Rail Link
proposed network[1]
 Pengkalan Kubor
to KTM Tumpat
ECL
'Wakaf Bharu
KTM Intercity
to KTM Mentakab and Gemas
 MRL Kota Bharu
 Jelawat
 Tok Bali
Kelantan
Terengganu
state
border
 Kampung Raja
 Penarik
 Kuala Terengganu
 Kuala Telemong
(Provisional)
 Pengkalan Berangan
Bukit Besi Spur Line
 Dungun
Kertih
(Provisional)
Kemasik
Kemaman Spur Line
Chukai
Terengganu
Pahang
state
border
 Cherating
 Kuantan Port City
Kuantan Port City Spur Line
 Kota SAS
Kuantan Sentral
(Provisional)
 Gambang
 Maran
to Wakaf Bharu and Tumpat
ECL
 KTM Mentakab
KTM Intercity
 MRL Mentakab (
Kawasan Perindustrian
Termerloh
)
to Gemas
 Bentong
18km Bentong Tunnel
Pahang
Selangor
state
border
Gombak Utara
Gombak
Integrated Transport Terminal Gombak
 5 
 to Putra Heights and KL Sentral
to KTM Tanjung Malim
Serendah
 2 
to KTM Port Klang
Puncak Alam (future)
 Kapar (future)
 KTM Jalan Kastam
 2 
Northport and Westport
 2 

The East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) (Malay: Laluan Rel Pantai Timur) was a planned standard gauge railway link infrastructure project connecting Port Klang on the Straits of Malacca to Pengkalan Kubor in northeast Peninsular Malaysia, connecting the East Coast Economic Region states of Pahang, Terengganu and Kelantan to one another and to Peninsular Malaysia's west coast and Central Region.[2]

The railway link infrastructure project would have carried both passengers and freight from the West Coast of Peninsular Malaysia to its East Coast and vice versa.

Construction began in August 2017. On 3 July 2018, Malaysia Rail Link Sdn Bhd (MRL) instructed China Communications Construction to suspend all works under the engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning contract (EPCC) of the ECRL project.[3]

Project proposal

  • East Coast Rail Link – Rail Link Infrastructure
  • East Coast Rail Line – Rail Line Services
    • Gombak-Kota Bharu ECR Line, up to 160 km/h speed inter-city rail service planned using 11 eight-car trainsets (CJ6-type EMU) for passenger services
    • Port Klang-Serendah-Gombak Utara-Pengkalan Kubor ECR Line freight (cargo) using electric locomotive

Project background

The project forms part of China's Belt and Road Initiative. On 15 March 2016, Suruhanjaya Pengangkutan Awam Darat (SPAD) and East Coast Economic Region Development Council (ECERDC), conducting a markeing exercise to gauge market interest, and seek views and ideas for the ECRL via a Request for Information (RFI).[4][5]

On November 2016, a framework finance deal and construction agreement, valued at USD13.1 billion, was signed by the Malaysian Government and the state-owned China Communications Construction Company Ltd (CCCC). The deal was criticised by Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamed as being lopsided. “When it involves giving contracts to China, borrowing huge sums of money from China, and the contract goes to China, and China contractors prefer to use their own workers from China, use everything imported from China, even the payment is not made here, it’s made in China … that kind of contract is not something that I welcome”.[6]

Starting 8 March 2017, the plan is opened for public inspection for 3 months at Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) head office and 38 other locations including district offices.[7]

The 3-month Public Inspection for Phase One of the ECRL received some 95 percent approval from 17,000 respondents across 15 east coast districts.[8] SPAD had granted approval for Phase One of the ECRL railway schedule on 23 June 2017 which covers about 600 km of track. An Environmental Impact Assessment Report for the ECRL has also been completed and endorsed by the Department of Environment on 20 June 2017.[9]

On 9 August 2017, prime minister Najib Razak presided at the groundbreaking ceremony in Pahang state, marking the beginning of construction. He said "The construction of this rail link is in line with the government's initiative for efficient national infrastructure as well as connecting towns and upgrading public transport in the rural areas of the east coast."[10]

Railway alignment

Phase 1

The proposed alignment for Phase 1 of the railway features 22 stations running along a 600.3 km route. The new rail link is projected to connect passengers from Kota Bharu in Kelantan to ITT Gombak in Selangor in less than 4 hours.[11]

It will start north of Kuala Lumpur at the Integrated Transport Terminal Gombak (ITT Gombak), the future interchange with the Kelana Jaya Line and main long-distance bus terminal. From the Klang Valley the line will run east through the state of Pahang, serving the towns of Bentong, Mentakab, Maran and Gambang, Kota SAS before reaching the state capital, Kuantan where there will be two stations namely Kuantan Port City 2 (freight) and Kuantan Port City 1 (passenger).

From Kuantan, the line will turn north to Cherating before entering the state of Terengganu, where it will serve the towns of Chukai, Kemasik, Kerteh (Provisional), Dungun, Pengkalan Berangan, state capital Kuala Terengganu as well as via Telaga Papan and Kampung Raja area.

The ECRL will continue north into Kelantan, serving stations at Tok Bali and Jelawat, before ending at Kota Bharu.[12]

The rail link includes a total of 50 km of tunnelling and underground alignment. The tunnelling works will be carried out along the Gombak-Bentong area where the single-longest twin hill-tunnel spanning 18 km will be built under the Titiwangsa Mountains. There will also be several underground lines, including in the heavily populated Gombak area near the Kuala Lumpur city centre.[13]

Phase 2

Phase 2 of ECRL will have an estimated length of 88 km. This phase will cover the stretch from Gombak North to Port Klang (Jalan Kastam) through Serendah and two more future station located at Puncak Alam and Kapar. As well, a further extension between Kota Bharu and Pengkalan Kubor also will be built. The cost of construction for this section of the ECRL is RM9 billion. With Phase 1 and Phase 2 combined, the total length of the entire line is about 688 km and the construction cost amounting to RM55 billion.[14][15]

Fleet

Passenger EMU

Passenger services will be operated by a fleet of 11 eight-car CJ6-type EMUs, each accommodating up to 600 passengers. The EMUs will be eco-friendly and produce less noise compared to other EMUs.[16]

Rail freight locomotive

One electric locomotive is capable to haulage up to 45 wagons with 3500 tonnes cargo.

Owner and operator

The ECRL will be owned and operated by Malaysia Rail Link Sdn Bhd (MRL), a special purpose vehicle wholly owned by the Minister of Finance Incorporated (MoF Inc).[17]

Upon the election of the Pakatan Harapan coalition in May 2018, prime minister Mahathir Mohamad demanded that a number of Beijing-led infrastructure projects signed during the Najib era be reviewed.[6]

References

  1. ↑ MRL. "Welcome to MRL". mrl.com.my.
  2. ↑ "ECRL Project Information". mrl.com.my. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
  3. ↑ "MRL instructs CCCC to suspend ECRL works on grounds of national interest". The Edge Markets. July 4, 2018.
  4. ↑ "EAST COAST RAIL LINE (ECRL) PROJECT". SPAD. Retrieved 21 June 2016.
  5. ↑ "SPAD initiates RFI to gauge market interest for East Coast Rail Line". THE EDGE. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  6. 1 2 "Mahathir: nothing to fear from China, but lopsided deals must end".
  7. ↑ "ECRL project to boost GDP of three East Coast states by 1.5pc". 8 March 2017. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
  8. ↑ Hidir Reduan (August 9, 2017). "Najib lambasts those who criticise ECRL project despite massive benefits to rakyat". New Straits Times.
  9. ↑ http://malaysiandigest.com/news/691856-ecrl-to-bring-changes-to-economic-development-landscape.html
  10. ↑ "Malaysia breaks ground on East Coast Rail Link". 9 August 2017. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
  11. ↑ http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v7/sp/newssports.php?id=1380220
  12. ↑ "Malaysia unveils East Coast Rail Link alignment". Railjournal.com. 10 March 2017. Retrieved 14 May 2017.
  13. ↑ "Gamuda and IJM set to gain from East Coast Rail Link project". The Star. Malaysia. 14 March 2017. Retrieved 14 May 2017.
  14. ↑ 13 May 2017 @ 5:13 pm. "Najib witnesses signing of ECRL Phase Two construction agreement | Malaysia General Business Sports and Lifestyle News". New Straits Times. Retrieved 14 May 2017.
  15. ↑ "M'sia inks second phase deals on ECRL and Malacca-Pengerang pipeline". Malaysiakini.com. Retrieved 14 May 2017.
  16. ↑ "Projek Laluan Rel Pantai Timur (ECRL) – Menyatu Kehidupan, Memacu Pertumbuhan". 2 September 2011. Retrieved 14 May 2017 – via YouTube.
  17. ↑ "MoF's MRL To Own And Operate RM55b ECRL".
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