ECRL at 98.16% completion, could even begin operations earlier than scheduled – fares will be affordable

At 98.16% complete, phase one of the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) is well on track for its launch, and it may even begin operations earlier than its scheduled start in January, Under the original plan, phase one of the ECRL was supposed to open then.

However, in August, the transport ministry made a request to Malaysia Rail Link (MRL) and its main contractor, China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), to expedite things with a view of making commercial operations possible in time for the upcoming holidays in December.

As The Star reports, MRL says that the rail service could be possibly ready to roll by mid-December, subject to final preparations and approval. According to MRL CEO Datuk Seri Darwis Abdul Razak, indication of the actual service commencement date could come as early as this Friday, when Budget 2027 is tabled.

Should that happen, ECRL will follow up shortly by revealing its proposed service schedule and fare structure, which has been presented for Cabinet approval. While no details of the the fare structure have been revealed, Darwis provided a ballpark figure of what to expect.

He said that ECRL fares cannot be lower than KTMB’s ETS services, and will definitely be higher than bus fares. It is however unlikely to be as high as airfares, even when dynamic pricing – which is an automated mechanism that adjusts fares according to demand – is factored in. “It is an extremely fine balancing act when we try to juggle between affordability with service sustainability and the ability to service the loan taken for the project,” he said.

In terms of speed, preliminary testing has indicated that the journey from Gombak to Kota Baru can take just four hours, with the express service expected to take one hour and 35 minutes from Gombak to Kuantan’s KotaSAS station, another one hour and 25 minutes to Kuala Terengganu and about an hour more to Kota Baru.

Meanwhile, Darwis said that a journey using a transit-like service that stops at all the 16 stations is expected to take up to five hours. The express train will travel at speeds of up to 160 km/h, making it the fastest land-based passenger service along the route, which crosses Selangor, Pahang, Terengganu and Kelantan.

He added that ECRL’s 10 passenger train sets is enough to also provide commuter-like services from Kuantan to Kota Baru, as well as from Kuantan to Gombak, to meet various travel requirements.

He said the service had the capacity to run a total of 24 trips a day, but at the moment, ECRL plans to run six trips each day in both directions from Gombak to Kota Baru from Mondays to Thursdays, while Fridays to Sundays will see seven daily services in both directions, with services starting as early as 6.30 am, and ending close to midnight. With each train capable of carrying 435 passengers, it is expected that more than 5,000 journeys could be completed daily.