MRL: First ECRL electric trains, locomotives to arrive by year-end

• MRL chief executive officer Datuk Seri Darwis Abdul Razak said the arrival is intended to support commissioning tests for both passenger and freight train operations, scheduled to begin in June 2026.

DUNGUN (July 15): The first two sets of Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) trains and two electric locomotives (E-Loco) for the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project are expected to arrive by the end of this year, Malaysia Rail Link (MRL) said on Tuesday.

MRL chief executive officer Datuk Seri Darwis Abdul Razak said the arrival is intended to support commissioning tests for both passenger and freight train operations, scheduled to begin in June 2026.

He said that in the next phase, an additional nine EMU sets and 18 locomotives will be delivered in stages between April and May next year.

“In total, there will be 11 EMU trains for passenger services and 20 locomotives for freight operations,” he said when met at the launch of the 2025 POLYCC TVET Mega Fiesta at Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Polytechnic (PSMZA) here on Tuesday.

Also present were senior director (Competency) of the Department of Polytechnic and Community College Education Abdul Razak Sabtu, and PSMZA director Zamra Derahman.

Darwis also announced that MRL will send a total of 109 students from higher learning institutions (IPTs) to undergo the ECRL Industrial Skills Training Programme (PLKI-ECRL) in Liuzhou, China, in stages from August to October this year.

He said all trainees are guaranteed job placements with the ECRL project upon completing their training, with a starting salary of RM3,000.

“In May, we sent 101 students from institutions such as polytechnics and MARA to participate in the PLKI-ECRL programme.

“PSMZA is fortunate, as around 60 of its students were selected for the programme.

“The synergy between Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions and industry partners is crucial in shaping a highly skilled, resilient workforce prepared for global challenges,” he said.

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