The East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project will resume, after nine months of negotiations, with alignments and stations restructured to make it more viable. -- Bernama photo
The East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project will resume, after nine months of negotiations, with alignments and stations restructured to make it more viable.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook said the resumption would have a positive impact on the well-being of the people in terms of social economic development.
“Once completed in 2026, we will see more development and industrialisation in the east coast,” he said after THE relaunching of works on the tunnel here today.
“This section from Dungun to Mentakab is the least impacted by the realignment deal.”
The contractors will prioritise works on the tunnels and viaducts along the proposed alignment from Dungun to Mentakab in Pahang over the next one month to propel the construction of the re-negotiated RM44 billion rail network.
The supplementary agreement inked between Malaysia Rail Link Sdn Bhd (MRL) and China Communications Construction Company Ltd (CCCC) on April 12 in Beijing paved the way for the resumption of the ECRL project to proceed at a lower cost, compared with the price tag of RM65.5 billion.
The focus of the renegotiated project will be on the design and physical works of the 14.13km tunnels in 23 locations, as well as preparatory works for 39.03km of viaducts in 65 locations situated within the 223km stretch from Dungun to Mentakab where no rail alignment changes were made under the improved ECRL project.
Earthworks at several ECRL tunnel sites, including the 871m Dungun Tunnel, 1.1km Paka Tunnel, and 2.8km Kuantan Tunnel, and site clearing and pile testing on multiple sites for viaducts have commenced.
Loke said, despite the realignment involving diversions from the original design, the government would keep the option open for future development when the need arose.
Asked whether the project would encourage existing investors in the more developed states to shift or expand their operations to the east coast states, Loke said it could entice existing firms to expand, but more importantly there would be new investments.
“The joint-venture with CCCC ensures new investments.
“We are not building the railway at the expense of other states. We may see expansion, but not relocation.”
The improved ECRL project involves a distance of 640km that will entail rail alignment changes between Kota Baru in Kelantan and Dungun, Terengganu, with the introduction of a new southern alignment from Mentakab in Pahang to Port Klang in Selangor that runs through Negri Sembilan and Putrajaya.
The entire project will see the construction of 30 to 40 tunnels along its alignment from Kota Baru to Port Klang, with the longest tunnel measuring about 7km to be built in the Jelebu-Semenyih area.
The project will also witness the construction of multiple viaducts with a total length of approximately 100km.
Loke said Environmental Impact Assessment reports had been submitted where land clearing had started, and more would be submitted as the project progressed.
“This is a national project. It is apolitical.
“It involves states not won by the present government.
“It is for the country and the people,” he said, adding that it was well-positioned as a national infrastructure project as it linked cities and towns, upgraded public transport in rural areas along its entire 640km rail network that would traverse five states and Putrajaya.
~New Straits Times~
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