ECRL completion date still on Dec 31, 2026 - Wee Ka Siong

KUALA LUMPUR: The target completion of the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project remains on Dec 31, 2026 for section A , from Kota Bharu to Dungun, and B, which if Dungun to Temerloh, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.

However, Transport Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong said the completion of Section C, from Temerloh to Port Klang, is expected to be delayed by 12 months, which is on Dec 31, 2027.

In terms of project progress, Wee said as of last Aug 31, the entire construction of the project had achieved 23.96 per cent, of the scheduled 25 per cent progress.

He attributed the 1.04 per cent delay in the work progress to the implementation of the Movement Control Order (MCO).

On the work progress for Section A for the same period, he said, it was 11.59 per cent compared to the scheduled progress of of 12.01 per cent, while for section B, it was 28.04 per cent completed and covered earthworks and tunnel construction in Dungun, Paka and Kuantan.

"Preliminary work for the construction of tunnels in Gambang, Sri Jaya, Gedung Siam and Paya Pasir is also in progress," he said during a question and answer session in the Dewan Rakyat today.

He was responding to a question from Wan Hassan Mohd Ramli (PAS-Dungun) who wanted to know the latest developments on the ECRL project and date on the scheduled completion of the project.

For Section C, Wee said the government was still studying the best alignment to ensure the project would provide maximum economic impact.

It is important that the ECRL is strategically connected to the national rail logistics network. In this case, the proposal to return to the proposed original northern alignment, namely Temerloh-Gombak-Serendah and extended to Port Klang, had been approved in principle by the Cabinet, he added.

-- BERNAMA