King officiates installation of first ECRL track

• The megaproject, which was inaugurated on Aug 9, 2017 at an estimated cost of RM50 billion, is scheduled to start operating in January 2027, with the passenger trains travelling at a speed of 160kph, and the freight trains at 80kph.

KUANTAN (Dec 11): Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah officiated the installation of the first track of the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project here on Monday.

His Majesty was accompanied by Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah at the ceremony, which was held at the Section 10 ECRL station site in Gebeng here.

Also present were Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook, China's Ambassador to Malaysia Ouyang Yujing, Malaysia Rail Link Sdn Bhd (MRL) chairman Tan Sri Mohd Zuki Ali, China Communications Construction Company Ltd (CCCC) chairman Wang Tongzhou, and the menteris besar of the East Coast states of Peninsular Malaysia, in which the alignment of the ECRL is located.

The CCCC is the engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning contractor of the ECRL, which involves a 665km railway line with 20 stations, including 10 passenger stations and 10 combined passenger and cargo stations.

The megaproject, which was inaugurated on Aug 9, 2017 at an estimated cost of RM50 billion, is scheduled to start operating in January 2027, with the passenger trains travelling at a speed of 160kph, and the freight trains at 80kph.

Meanwhile, Wang said in a statement that the launch also marked the realisation of a new era in the construction process of the ECRL mega train infrastructure in Malaysia.

"The installation of the track signifies our commitment to presenting Malaysia with progress, innovation and the integration of meaningful mobility connectivity.

"We will continue our efforts by strengthening our dedication to excellence, safety and community continuity. Our inspiration is to create a rail transport system that embodies Malaysia's aspirations for a connected future,” he said.

Monday's inauguration was also the key starting point for the installation of the 94km track from the Kuantan Port City (KPC) station in Gebeng to Dungun, Terengganu, which is expected to take about three to four months to be completed.

The next track installation will involve the KPC Station to Temerloh near here, and heading northwards from Dungun to Kota Bharu, Kelantan, before the final one from Temerloh to Jalan Kastam, Selangor.

The installation process uses the CCPG500A track laying machine, together with the 500m long welded rail, and pre-stressed mono-block sleepers to ensure a solid foundation, in addition to reducing vibration when the train is moving for the comfort of passengers.

The equipment can also enable the track installation to proceed at a rate of 1.5km to 2.5km per day, a significant increase compared to the conventional method at a rate of 500m to 700m a day.

Six diesel locomotives measuring 22m in length and with a maximum speed of 100kph were brought in from China at the end of October to help with transporting materials.

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