KUANTAN: The East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) track installation works between Kuantan Port City (KPC) in Gebeng here and Dungun, Terengganu has been completed a month ahead of schedule.
Malaysia Rail Link (MRL) chief executive officer Datuk Seri Darwis Abdul Razak said phase one, comprising a 92km stretch was installed using the CCPG-500A track laying machine which achieves an average rate of between 1.5km and 2km per day.
"The machine was deployed for the first time in Malaysia's rail industry, paving the way for completion of the track laying works between KPC and Dungun by the end of last month.
"This was followed by a track tamping process using a tamping machine as well as ballasting works via ballast regulator machine (used to shape and distribute the gravel track ballast). Both processes were fully completed from KPC to Gebeng early this month," he said during ECRL's breaking of fast event here last night. Darwis said ECRL's track laying works has entered the second phase since March 9 involving a 90km main stretch between KPC and neighbouring district Maran.
ECRL, the country's mega-rail project, entered a new phase on Dec 11 last year when the Sultan of Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, who was then serving as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, graced the official inauguration of the first track-laying ceremony at KPC here.
The 665km-long ECRL built with a cost of RM50.27 billion will traverse the east coast states of Pahang, Kelantan and Terengganu through to the Klang Valley.
Upon completion, the ECRL passenger trains can travel at a speed of 160km per hour while the freight trains travel at 80km per hour. Meanwhile Darwis said the overall progress of the ECRL project involving the states of Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang and Selangor had achieved 62.4 per cent till last month.
"We have set a target of achieving between 75 and 76 percent progress by the end of this year," he said.
Meanwhile, he said the construction of the ECRL project in Pahang has reached 58 perc ent till February this year and was progressing smoothly towards the Jan 1, 2027 operation of the ECRL.
"The ongoing works include tunnel construction, the installation of flyover beams, station building works and laying out tracks. The 258km ECRL alignment in Pahang consists of a total of seven stations.
"The Cherating and KotaSAS stations caters only for passengers while the KPC, Paya Besar, Maran, Temerloh and Bentong stations will be utilised for passengers and freight," he said.
On March 11. the ECRL project achieved a new milestone after recording three tunnel breakthroughs in a single day within the Bentong district, bringing the total number of tunnels that have completed excavation works along its rail alignment to 30.
At the function, more than 30 underprivileged children and staff from two orphanages - Permata Al Insyirah and Baitul Mukmin - were treated to a breaking of fast buffet. The children were also given "duit raya'.
Also present was Pahang public works, transport and health committee chairman Ir. Razali Kassim.
