KOTA BHARU (April 23): System installation works on the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) involving the construction of electrification, signalling and telecommunication systems for the operation of passenger and cargo trains are expected to begin in May.

Malaysia Rail Link Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Datuk Seri Darwis Abdul Razak said this is because the track installation works from Gebeng, Pahang to Dungun, Terengganu along 92km had been fully completed.

He said the work on this system will start in May to enable the installation of the track from Dungun to Kota Bharu, Kelantan to be implemented by the end of December this year.

"In total, the ECRL project recorded progress of 64.01% as of March 2024 for the entire length that includes four states, namely Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang and Selangor," he said after the ECRL Aidilfitri open house here on Tuesday.

Prior to this, Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook had expressed confidence that the ECRL project would be completed according to the schedule in December 2026, and be operational from January 2027.

The 665km-long ECRL project involving 20 stations (and 40 tunnels) has entered a new phase of construction since 2023, including infrastructure works, such as the installation of flyover beams, track installation, station construction and railway depot construction.

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