By Sharen Kaur
THE 620km East Coast Rail Route (ECRR) linking Greater Kuala Lumpur and three east coast states in Peninsular Malaysia is expected to cost around RM60 billion, sources say.
Most of the potential line’s required investment will be sourced from the private sector, they added.
The East Coast Economic Region Development Council (ECERDC) has proposed the ECRR to the federal government and its viability is being studied by the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD).
SPAD plays a central role in improving road and rail-based public and freight transport in the country.
Its chief development officer Azmi Abdul Aziz said the ECRR aims to create rail connectivity to the east coast and provide economic spillover from Greater Kuala Lumpur.
“We are still studying the proposal (by ECERDC). We have not reached any conclusion.
“A new railway scheme will be formed as it will involve cutting across the Main Range (Banjaran Titiwangsa),” Azmi told Business Times on the sidelines of the Rail Solutions Asia conference here yesterday.
He added that the project, if viable, will be implemented in four phases. He, however, declined to reveal the cost.
“We have mapped out plans to develop railway infrastructure in Malaysia up to 2030. We are now working on plans beyond 2030.
This project (ECRR) may be implemented before or after 2030,” Azmi said.
According to sources, ECRR will take about 15 years to develop as it will involve a lot of underground work and building tunnels across Banjaran Titiwangsa.
ECERDC has established that a rail route connecting all the major ports, business centres and towns in Pahang, Terengganu and Kelantan is vital to achieve growth in the east coast.
Based on the National Public Transport Masterplan available on SPAD’s website, the ECRR line may start either from the integrated transport terminal in Gombak, Batu Caves or Serendah,
all in Selangor.
It will enter Pahang, stopping at Bentong, Mentakab or Temerloh, Maran and Gambang before heading on to the Kuantan Sentral station and then onwards to Kuantan Port City.
From there it will go into Terengganu, stopping at Kemaman, Kertih, Paka, Dungun, Ajil, Kuala Terengganu, Penarik and Kampung Raja.
It will then move into Kelantan, passing Tok Bali, Jelawat and Kota Baru, before reaching its final stop in Tumpat, about 9km from the Thailand-Malaysia border.
Business Times reported recently that the railway track between Kerteh and Kuantan, owned by Petroleum Nasional Bhd (Petronas), will be redeveloped for about RM2 billion.
The line, which ceased operations more than a year ago, will form part of the ECRR project, a source said.
sharen@mediaprima.com.my
Published in NST on April 18, 2013
Most of the potential 620km East Coast Rail Route’s required investment will be sourced from the private sector, sources say
Most of the potential line’s required investment will be sourced from the private sector, they added.
The East Coast Economic Region Development Council (ECERDC) has proposed the ECRR to the federal government and its viability is being studied by the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD).
SPAD plays a central role in improving road and rail-based public and freight transport in the country.
Its chief development officer Azmi Abdul Aziz said the ECRR aims to create rail connectivity to the east coast and provide economic spillover from Greater Kuala Lumpur.
“We are still studying the proposal (by ECERDC). We have not reached any conclusion.
“A new railway scheme will be formed as it will involve cutting across the Main Range (Banjaran Titiwangsa),” Azmi told Business Times on the sidelines of the Rail Solutions Asia conference here yesterday.
He added that the project, if viable, will be implemented in four phases. He, however, declined to reveal the cost.
“We have mapped out plans to develop railway infrastructure in Malaysia up to 2030. We are now working on plans beyond 2030.
This project (ECRR) may be implemented before or after 2030,” Azmi said.
According to sources, ECRR will take about 15 years to develop as it will involve a lot of underground work and building tunnels across Banjaran Titiwangsa.
ECERDC has established that a rail route connecting all the major ports, business centres and towns in Pahang, Terengganu and Kelantan is vital to achieve growth in the east coast.
Based on the National Public Transport Masterplan available on SPAD’s website, the ECRR line may start either from the integrated transport terminal in Gombak, Batu Caves or Serendah,
all in Selangor.
It will enter Pahang, stopping at Bentong, Mentakab or Temerloh, Maran and Gambang before heading on to the Kuantan Sentral station and then onwards to Kuantan Port City.
From there it will go into Terengganu, stopping at Kemaman, Kertih, Paka, Dungun, Ajil, Kuala Terengganu, Penarik and Kampung Raja.
It will then move into Kelantan, passing Tok Bali, Jelawat and Kota Baru, before reaching its final stop in Tumpat, about 9km from the Thailand-Malaysia border.
Business Times reported recently that the railway track between Kerteh and Kuantan, owned by Petroleum Nasional Bhd (Petronas), will be redeveloped for about RM2 billion.
The line, which ceased operations more than a year ago, will form part of the ECRR project, a source said.
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